


The Cat-astrophic Adventures Sasuke and Naruto

by stammi_vicinora



Category: Naruto
Genre: Cats, M/M, Narkitty, Saskitty, kitty fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-09 03:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 35,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3234026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stammi_vicinora/pseuds/stammi_vicinora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sasuke's life is nothing short of comfortable. He has a loving home, gets served three meals a day (and the occasional snack) and is free to spend his peaceful and quiet days looking out the window, taking naps, playing with a ball of yarn and grooming his beautiful fur. This Russian blue is content with the life he has with his human, Emi, so he never expected anyone to crash into it and flip his purr-fect life upside down. Is that a fox-tail?</p>
<p>A series of drabbles featuring Sasuke and Naruto as cats.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Beautiful Friendship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fangirlandiknowit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlandiknowit/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don’t own. Saskitty here is Emelie’s tho hahaha

Sasuke didn’t know what he was staring it. The lump in front of him was blinking at him with its icy blue eyes, but in contrast to the colour, they held within them a kind of brightness that matched the golden tuft on its head. Its lips had curled back, covering the 6 markings on its cheek and revealed sharp canines. It hadn’t said anything, _yet_ , but Sasuke was certain that this…thing was _loud_. Just look at that obnoxious bright orange coat, it’s so untamed! What is this thing? Sasuke’s gaze shifted to the twitching ears, slowly moving down to take the information in, and stopped at the bushy tail that was quivering in excitement. Yup, Sasuke was sure of it. Whatever this thing was, he hated it.

He gave a yawn, mouth opened wide, his pink tongue poking out, and stretched his body forward, his claws popping out before snuggling back to his original position. Placing his paws underneath his chin, he closed his eyes again to catch his nap. He could hear the orange lump shift and pad closer to him but he ignored it, ears flattening to his skull to silently tell the thing to back off and leave him be.

“Hiya, I’m Naruto!” The thing said, its voice too sharp and too loud for Sasuke.

Peeking an eye open lazily, he saw that this “Naruto” had extended his body forward, tail straight in a friendly manner, nose pointing out to sniff him curiously. When it stepped closer, he closed his eye, cutting off any contact. Turning his body, he laid on his side so he didn’t have to deal with the fluffy thing, his tail curled inwards as he nestled himself in his warm basket. A paw over his eye for good measure, his breathing slowed as he relaxed and slowly drift off to sle-.

Something wet and squishy was pushing against his nose and immediately, the paw over his eye came down to swat whatever it was away. With a loud yowl, Sasuke was on his feet, tail straight as a rod and fur puffed out from the sudden intrusion of space.

Naruto fell on his toosh, both paws covering his nose. “Ow! What the hell, bastard!” he yelled, ears turned out in anger.

Sasuke hissed in distaste, sitting on his hind legs when he realised that it was merely the ruddy coloured Somali and nothing threatening. He turned his nose up haughtily. “Hn. Serves you right for disturbing me,” he retorted calmly, licking his paws so he could smooth out his coat.

“Stupid teme, haven’t you heard of a greeting?” Those icy blue eyes narrowed, pink nose scrunched up.

The dark cat turned his head away. “Tch.” Of course Sasuke knew what a greeting was but that didn’t mean that orange fluff had the right to touch him so familiarly. He wriggled his nose, still a bit bothered that the other cat had pressed his nose against his. “Are you an idiot? I never gave you my permission. Stop acting so familiar with me,” Sasuke reprimanded, licking a patch of fur on his stomach. “Dobe.” He added as an afterthought.

Large ears perked up and those blue eyes turned warm again. “Oh. I thought you were okay with it.” Getting on all fours, Naruto walked up to the basket again, oblivious to Sasuke’s glare and perched his front paws on the basket. “Do you want to try again?” he asked.

Sasuke had half a mind to scratch those paws away. How dare he touch his basket? “Moron,” Sasuke muttered. “I’d rather not associate myself with you.” He continued to lick his fur down, his rough tongue acting like a brush.

“Ehh? But don’t you wanna be friends?” Naruto asked, tail flicking in curiosity and raised himself up.

Jumping out of his little nest, the Russian blue scoffed. Friends? With this stray? He couldn’t fully explain it but this stray bothered him and he’d rather have some distance between them. What was with this idiot and his need to be friends? Honestly. Didn’t he ever hear of personal space? “No, I’d rather not,” he answered curtly and walked away.

Naruto frowned and turned away from the basket to catch up with Sasuke, his footsteps quickening. “Hey, where are you going? Can I come with?”

Sasuke halted and so did Naruto. “Don’t follow me, usuratonkachi.” He snapped his jaw angrily. “You’re annoying.” He turned away, intentionally flicking his tail across Naruto’s face, telling him to get lost.

“You’re mean!” cried the fluffy cat and he rounded Sasuke, invading his personal space again. “Can’t we just get along?” he asked and curiously sniffed the blue coated cat, trying to memorise his scent, asking permission again to greet him properly.

He backed away from the curious nose, determined not to let him get close. Baring his canines, he lowered his lower body to the floor, hind legs pushed up making his back arch. Sasuke released an angry yowl in warning. “You’re too close! What is wrong with you? I told you to stay away!” Was this cat stupid or what?

Ignoring the menacing position, Naruto asked brightly, “What’s your name? You smell really nice.”

Ah, fuck it. With a low growl, Sasuke pounced on the orange cat, claws extended. Not only did it disturb his precious sleep but the idiot couldn’t read the signs he was throwing at him and leave him alone. He was too insistent! His anger spiked when Naruto laughed as they tumbled to the floor. What does he think this is, a game? He swiped at his chin, trying to wipe that stupid smile off his stupid face.

Naruto let out a soft mewl. “Awesome! I like to play too!” He pawed Sasuke’s chest playfully before turning them around and pinning Sasuke to the floor. He nudged his wet nose towards Sasuke’s again, determined to greet him properly and become friends.

Sasuke couldn’t believe it, his eye twitched in annoyance. This moronic cat had some nerve! “I’m not playing!” he hissed, trying to push the larger cat off. “Get. Off!” Snapping, Sasuke craned his neck to bite down on a fluffy ear, earning him a surprised gasp. Twisting his body, he managed to turn the tables and flip them over. Now straddling Naruto’s back, his jaws were still clenched tightly on the Somali’s ear. In pain, Naruto hissed below him and tried to buck him off, his fluffy tail swinging wildly but the dark cat hunkered down, planting his hind paws firmly on the floor pushing his entire weight over the Somali’s back.

“You’re too rough, teme!” The orange cat hissed and spitted, trying his damn hardest to throw Sasuke off but that only made Sasuke pull on his ear some more. “Damn it, stop treating me like a girl! You can’t manhandle me like this!” he yowled, ears drooping.

Releasing the other’s ear, Sasuke licked his canines free of blood, the taste coppery on his tongue. He hummed in satisfaction when he saw the two slightly bleeding puncture wounds on the cat’s ear. Hmph. Maybe then it’ll learn its place. Leaning his face down, he narrowed his eyes at Naruto’s, staring long and hard. “Get lost, usuratonkachi,” he warned and got off, strutting away.

The long haired cat looked at Sasuke with a frown. Stupid teme, trying to show off his dominance like that. What an asshole. Naruto sniffed licking the pad of his paw and pressed it onto his ear. He squirmed in discomfort, anger blooming in his chest as he looked at his assailant, licking his shiny blue-black coat as if their confrontation had not happened. He’ll show him who’s submissive! Lowering his body horizontal to the floor, Naruto quietly sneaked up on the grooming Russian blue, careful to keep his breathing soft.

Now Sasuke is an intelligent cat, not just because of his pedigree either. He could hear the Somali tiptoeing towards him. Hn. After his show of dominance, the cat still has the guts to approach him? He should have his tail between his legs after their tumble but whatever. Whatever Naruto threw at him, he’ll just give back ten times. He can handle himself. With that thought in mind, Sasuke continued to primp himself but had stayed on the alert for when Naruto would attack, his tail tapping on the hardwood floor. The idiot won’t catch him off guard.

Rather than ambushing the blue cat like Sasuke had expected him to, Naruto instead went for the tail. Latching on to the slim appendage, he bit down hard on the end of it before darting away when Sasuke released a guttural caterwaul. “Hahaha, take that, bastard!” Naruto leapt onto the stair like bookshelves and perched himself on the top ledge, finding it hard to hold back his laughter. He had gotten his revenge and was pretty damn proud of himself.

Sasuke’s tail bristled in anger, ears folding back as he made his way to the bookshelf, hissing at the grinning Somali. “You better come down here,” he growled, stomping his left paw down. “Or I’ll come get you.” His pupils narrowed, those green eyes turned a few shades darker, almost black.

Naruto stuck his tongue out childishly at the Russian blue below. “Nyeh! I’d like to see you try, teme! Besides, you deserve it after you bit my ear,” he huffed. “We’re even now so just drop it.”

“Don’t test me, usuratonkachi!” Sasuke was about to hop onto the first shelf when he heard the creak of the front door opening. His ears perked up and his anger towards the Somali evaporated. His master’s here! Hurriedly, Sasuke hopped towards the door, wanting to welcome his owner. When the door to his room opened, he sat on his hind legs and he let out a happy croon, tail swishing left and right excitedly.

“There’s my favourite boy,” Sasuke’s owner, Emi, cooed, squatting down to greet her beloved cat. “How was your day today?”

Sasuke purred, pushing his head against the hand that was petting him. How he wish he could complain to her about the stupid stray that wouldn’t leave him alone. Instead he mewled from the attention he was getting. When he was gently picked up, his body curled around the arm that was carrying him.

Naruto had chosen that moment to jump off the bookshelf and trot towards them. He meowed at the pair before stopping by Emi’s feet and rolling himself over to expose his stomach, the plumed tail swishing as he looked up at them.

Speak of the devil. What was that idiot doing acting all cute and innocent like that? Hn. It doesn’t matter. His master’s here now and this Naruto is a stray so she’ll eventually show the Somali out of the house. How did he even get in here anyway? Sasuke grinned inwardly when Emi sounded surprised to see the stray at her feet. This was it, he was going to be kicked out of the house and he won’t be able to bother Sasuke ever again. Good riddance! He threw a smirk the ruddy coated cat’s way.

“Oh, why hello there,” Emi greeted the cat, offering her hand so Naruto could sniff it. “Sasuke, have you met your new friend? This is Naruto.” The cat owner smiled at her pet.

Friend. New friend? _New friend_? Sasuke nearly choked on his own tongue at the new information. This Naruto, he snapped his head towards the Somali’s direction, wasn’t a stray? He’s not a stray and he’s to be Sasuke playmate? Naruto’s his new playmate? His new _playmate_?! His mouth hung open and Naruto grinned up at him while he was being stroked by his master.

Getting onto his feet again, Naruto placed his front paws on Emi’s lap, his face coming into Sasuke’s view. “So, you’re name’s Sasuke, huh?” He sniffed his new playmate. “Let’s be friends!” He bumped their heads together affectionately, making his new owner coo at how well they were getting along with each other.

Sasuke was stiff on Emi’s arm, still trying to process the new information while Naruto rubbed their cheeks together. He did it so familiarly, like they’ve been the best friends for years. He was so open, so eager, so _bright_. His ears twitched at the sound of Naruto’s low purr when he sniffed his neck. Well, damn.

“Sasuke!”

For the second time of the day, Naruto found himself with his back to the floor and a very, _very_ pissed off Sasuke on top of him, teeth bared and looking absolutely murderous. He felt like this would be the start of a beautiful friendship. He cried out when the male bit on his other ear, their owner demanding Sasuke to let go. Okay, maybe not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Bridget and Sacha for inspiring me to write Sasuke and Naruto as cats. I wrote this for a lovely friend of mine and as a distraction from the pressure of writing a more serious SasNar fic. Initially a drabble, it looks like there will be more of this haha I wrote it just for fun but I've taken a real liking to it. We'll see how far this fic goes! This was originally posted on my tumblr account. All updates will be uploaded there first but I'll post here for the convenience of my wonderful readers.
> 
> Thank you very much for taking the time to read this! Please tell me your thoughts about it and if you like it, do share it with others. I really appreciate it. I'll post the next one soon!


	2. Mine!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: T for fluff and Sasuke’s potty mouth. Unbeta’d.
> 
> Disclaimer: Don’t own. Saskitty and Narukitty here are Emelie’s tho hahaha Also, none of the humans in this fic actually act this way in real life. Maybe.

The soft hum from the television did little to distract Sasuke as he stared out of the window, the gruff voice of the man announcing how the next challenge would involve duck, truffles and short crust pastry went over his head and he continued what he was doing. His emerald eyes traced the raindrops that slid down the glass, meeting up with another drop and continuing its journey downwards, tail flicking contently. No, it was the soft mewls from the other cat that made him turn away from one of his favourite pastimes with a frown, one ear pressed flat against his head in annoyance. Damn cat was on his back, wiggling his lower legs and tail in joy as his master rubbed his head so affectionately.

He turned away, a pout set on his face. He was adamant in staying in place on the windowsill, even after Emi had called him over to join them. No, not after he had made such a big deal about being here and throwing a hissy fit at how Naruto should remove himself his special spot or he’d claw his eyes out. No, his damn pride won’t let him. Even _if_ watching Masterchef with Emi was an even greater pastime than looking outside the window. He’s too much of a proud cat, blame his pedigree. Besides, how was he supposed to know that they moved the show’s time 40 minutes earlier? He released a puff of air from his nostrils, the heated air fogging up the glass, and tried to focus on the droplets more but his attention was grabbed towards the television again when Emi released a shriek of laughter.

“Naruto, what on Earth are you doing?” Emi managed between a fit of giggles.

The Somali was hopping on its hind legs, front paws extended to touch the television screen as the camera focused on one of the contestants, searing their duck on a cast iron pan. He mewed, tongue sticking out in concentration, trying his best to reach the last three inches of so, for the television was set on a high cabinet. When the camera panned out and switched to one of the judges, he stopped, a little disappointed that he couldn’t touch it and trotted back to his new owner. Leaping onto Emi’s lap, he circled a few times before settling himself down, snuggling and purring affectionately, eyes closed.

Sasuke sniffed, obviously unimpressed by the feline’s act of cuteness and was positive he was only doing that so he would gain his master’s affections. He clenched his teeth together, and it was clearly working. He could only watch as Emi cooed at the orange thing on her lap as it made a grab for her hand to give tentative licks and nips. Stupid cat, why did he have to become a part of this household anyway? Things were perfect as it was; just him and Emi, and the occasional annoying neighbour that comes around breakfast time. He didn’t like him at all and he wasn’t shy about showing how he felt about him butting in onto his perfect life. Stupid moron, idiot of a-

“Naruto, you’re so precious!” Naruto meowed, blinking slowly at Emi while he was being cradled. “Are you hungry? Is that why you wanted to attack the screen?” The human asked, rubbing the patch of fur just between the cat’s blue eyes with her forefinger. The cat in her arms meowed again, not exactly the type to decline any type of food and she complied with his wishes, rising from the couch to bring him to the kitchen, wondering out loud if Naruto would like those shrimp flakes she’d bought to try out last month.

The Russian blue raised his head at that. A little part of him was irritated that he was not invited to come with, not like he wanted more attention or anything. Getting onto his feet, he hopped off the sill and trudged silently behind, keeping his body close to the walls. He knew which treats Emi was talking about. She had bought them originally for him to try, and also because the pet shop gave out a free Moomin magnet if you buy a pack of 7 sachets but he never liked them. He had always disliked the taste of shrimp, it didn’t sit well on his tongue (that and because he was a picky eater) so the rest of the packets were stuff amongst his other canned food in the pantry.

Poking his head through the kitchen doorway, he saw Naruto rubbing himself against his owner’s legs, his fluffy tail curling around her calves as he weaved himself through her legs again and again. That moron, doesn’t he know how dangerous that could be towards Emi? What if he tripped her? His master was standing on tiptoes, reaching for a fresh packet of shrimp flakes, unperturbed of the feline by her feet. Sasuke nearly leapt out of his spot, not that he was hiding, when he saw Emi stumble from Naruto’s rubbing.

She laughed. “Whoa there, you best be careful so I won’t step on your tail, Naruto,” she reminded the Somali who nodded and walked beside her instead, nose sticking out to try and sniff the food in her hand. Grabbing a pet bowl from the rack by the sink, she emptied the contents of the packet, the pungent scent making both cat noses scrunch up; Naruto in eagerness and Sasuke in disgust. Mixing in some leftover fried rice, she placed it at the usual feeding spot in the kitchen, where there was a towel to catch any messes.

Running towards his food, and almost cracking his skull if he hadn’t skidded to a stop, Naruto took a few whiffs of his food curiously. The end of his tail twitched in excitement, he’d never had anything that smelled like this before. Darting out a tongue to sample it, his face brightened at the taste swirling in his mouth and he proceeded to stuff his face. His new owner laughed at his eagerness but told him to slow down and placed a bowl of water next to the food bowl. Taking a breather, he took a moment to savour the flavour before swallowing. He licked his chops in satisfaction, eyes at half mast, peering up at his master.

Ears folded back, Sasuke growled lowly in his throat at the scene played out in front of him, his sleek tail thumping the floor angrily. That stupid cat. Not only was Naruto served something Emi had bought for him, although a part of his brain reminded him that he didn’t like the taste of shrimp and shouldn’t get so worked up, but it was being served on _his_ food bowl too! It was unacceptable that this intruder was given such privilege! That bowl belongs to him, damn it! He has no right! And those shrimp flakes were meant for him, not the orange idiot! Inhaling sharply, he stepped forward and mewled for attention. When Emi turned her head towards him, he slinked towards her before resting near her feet. He tilted his head looking up at her, a paw in the air, making a request.

“Are you hungry too, Sasuke?” Emi kneeled down to pet Sasuke’s head.

The Russian blue meowed softly, pushing his head against his owner’s hand. Well, he wasn’t particularly hungry to be honest but... Green eyes slanted towards the other cat, he noted that Naruto stupid grin plastered on his face as he feasted. There’s no way he’s going to lose to him! Tearing away from the caress, he trotted over to Naruto side.

The Somali had stopped eating when he had noticed Sasuke coming up to him. Lifting his face from the food bowl, he licked away a stray grain of rice on his upper lip and greeted him. “Sasuke! You have to try this, it’s delicious!” he exclaimed happily, eyes sparkling and nudged the bowl towards his playmate, eager to share.

Sasuke on the other hand was not. His left upper lip twitched in annoyance. Why’d he have to share something that rightfully belonged to him? But then again… He looked at the food warily, his stomach already making backflips by the sheer stench of dried shrimps. He shook his head. It doesn’t matter. So, holding his breath, he took a bite out of the smelly mush and chewed, his eyes screwed shut. Forcing himself to swallow, he nearly hacked it back up, repulsed and quickly lapped at the water, trying to wash the horrible taste away.

Naruto noticed the dark cat’s struggles. “What’s the matter, Sasuke? You don’t like it?” His tail swished behind him. “Your stomach must be really delicate, huh?”

Nostrils flared, he turned back sharply at him. Was this cat mocking him? Delicate, his ass! Just as Naruto lowered his head to eat, Sasuke shoved him away forcefully with his head. It doesn’t matter if he has to eat a mountain of the stuff. Emi had bought that for _him_ and it was served on _his_ damn bowl. He’ll eat it till he vomits if he has to!

“Whoa, easy there, Sasuke!” Naruto was a little taken aback by Sasuke’s behaviour. “Leave some for me, why don’t cha’?”

Not a fucking chance. Sasuke continued to chow down the food, ignoring the protests of his stomach. He pushed the vile mush down his throat, took a few sips of water and repeated. That idiot cat will never get one flake if he has anything to say about it! Silently thankful of the last bite, he licked the bowl clean afterwards, as promised, not leaving even a flake for Naruto. He kept his grin to himself, proud of his feat. He did it.

Naruto peered into the bowl and sniffed it, trying to find even a small morsel that Sasuke could have left his with. But there was none. He frowned, stepping away from the bowl to face Sasuke and scold him. Though it was not visible, Naruto _knew_ the bastard was smiling smugly. “Missed a spot!” he suddenly cried and ducked to lick a stray blob of food clinging to the fur of his jawline.

Sasuke was livid! Seeing red, he pounced on the other cat, pinning him to the ground much like their first meeting. He felt a sense of déjà vu creeping up. No, that was probably just his anger welling up inside him. Yeah, that’s probably it. Naruto pushed his seething face away, spitting and hacking at him to tell him to get off. He returned the gesture, felt his temper flare at such defiance, blooming up his chest from his core and-

And he vomited.

“Sasuke!”

It was on that day that Emi realised how Sasuke was unable to eat shrimp and not only did she have a mess to clean in the kitchen but she had to give both her boys a bath.

* * *

 

The feather like thing came into view and a paw shot up to swat at it. The orange plume swished right, making large round eyes follow it intently, watching its next move. Left, right, up, down, a swirl, then left again. It teased him, calling him to participate in the game. The downy object gleamed in the afternoon sun, enticing him, flicking this way and that before both paws grabbed hold of it. It wiggled in his grasp and his feline instincts made him lunge forward, jaws open to capture the brightly coloured fur.

“Ow!” Naruto abruptly turned to his side, his hold on the feathery object, his tail, released and his face scrunched in mild discomfort. He shouldn’t have bitten it too hard. His fox-like tail curled around him and he took the time to observe the damage. Nothing serious, there wasn’t even any blood. Which was good, he didn’t need any more injuries on him, considering how his cheeks were littered with minute scratches. His soft nose even had a small gash near his left nostril. He wiggled his nose at the memory, long whiskers bouncing.

Stupid Sasuke! His tail thumped angrily, chest puffed out. That one really hurt! He wasn’t playing rough either, he was serious about wanting to hurt Naruto. He turned to his other side, boredom settling in once more. No one was at home in the present time, Emi had lessons and his playmate had gone out since midday. Being a Somali, a breed known to be naturally boisterous in character, he needed to be constantly entertained, which was why sitting alone in the house was driving him out of his mind and he had resorted to playing with his tail for the past 40 minutes.

It’s not like there wasn’t any cat toys in the house for him to play. The small home did after all house a cat and was perfectly equipped to meet a cat’s demands. No, it was because he _couldn’t_ play with them. More like, he was threatened to have his eyes gouged out by a certain Russian blue if he ever as much breathed on Sasuke’s precious toys. Not wanting another altercation, least he wanted it to end bloodily, he heeded his warnings. The dark cat wasn’t at all the pampered house cat he had originally thought him to be. He actually had some fight in him and could easily take Naruto on no problem. Not like he was going to give up easily but he liked him enough to let Sasuke have his way and be selfish. He was after all entering his territory.

But wasn’t he being a little unfair? He could understand why he would be angry about Naruto playing with his toys but to not sit on the rug by the fireplace, especially between 8 and 10 pm when Emi was writing, because it’s his “spot”, really? Just how selfish can the feline be? He huffed. He had learned the hard way on which areas to tread least he face Sasuke’s wrath and sharp claws. It had been going on for the past few days now. Naruto had been patient, allowing Sasuke to throw his tantrums but frankly, he was getting sick of it. They’re playmates after all! They were supposed to share everything! He’d never met such a temperamental cat. He seemed so friendly at first too.

_“Move over, usuratonkachi, this is my special spot.”_

_“If you know what’s good for you, you’d keep your paws off my favourite ball of yarn.”_

_“Sleep somewhere else, you moron! Can’t you see this is my bed?”_

_“Emi made this for me, you can have your own breakfast once I’m done.”_

_“Dobe, the squeaky mouse toy is mine. Keep your filthy paws off!”_

Ugh. He hated hearing it. _Mine, mine, mine_. He rolled his blue eyes. That’s all Sasuke ever says! Getting up to his feet, he walked over to the glass doors, staring outside, his long and fluffy tail wrapped around his form. It looked like it’s about to rain again soon. He wondered if Sasuke could make it back before it started pouring. He wasn’t worried at all, he was just too _bored_! Couldn’t something interesting happen? Slightly lost in his thoughts, when he came to, he soon found amber eyes staring back at him. A little startled, he reeled his head back. Where had that come from?

The black Bengal straightened, tail pointed straight, obviously friendly. Those dark ears flickered curiously as he tilted his head and an equally black nose pressed itself against the clear glass. Lifting a paw, the soft pink pad tapped the door, snapping Naruto out of his shocked state. “Hello,” the cat greeted, his voice low and smooth.

Relaxing, Naruto approached the glass door again, his tail too was straight but was curved at the end, showing his hesitation of the new comer. “Hi,” he greeted back, sitting directly in front of the black cat.

The Bengal craned his head so he could look past Naruto’s shoulders. “Are you alone?” he asked, both paws now rested against the glass as he stood up on his hind legs. Naruto’s ears folded to the side, his fur puffing out slightly, and seeing his discomfort, the black cat sat back down. “Do you want to come out and play with me? It must be lonely in there,” he suggested, bowing his head a little to show that he was no threat.

The Somali stared at him for a while, not saying anything but he jumped to his feet, his orange plume of a tail quivering with excitement. This cat wanted to play with him! “Mhmm! I’d really like that! My playmate went out so it’s really boring,” he complained, inwardly seething at how Sasuke abandoned him. “My name is Naruto!” His eyes sparkled at the tom cat, eager to have someone to play with now.

“I’m Sai,” he offered. “Do you know a way out?” He tapped the glass door with his front paw again.

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. “Yeah! Just wait there!” He zipped across the living room but stopped when he passed a particular box filled with cat toys. The squeaky mouse was on top of the pile, just perfect for grabbing. He grinned to himself. It would be nice if he could play the toy with Sai and he’ll put it back before Sasuke gets home. He’ll never know! He walked on the tips of his toes, sneaking to grab the toy even when there were no other occupants in the house. Just as he was about to grab it, there was a loud boom of Sasuke’s voice.

_“Usuratonkachi! If there’s as much as your scent on any of my toys, I’ll beat you up!”_

The ruddy coated Somali froze and shook his head to clear the voice in his head. It was probably just his damn conscience. It had always stopped him from having fun. Heh, the teme deserved it, anyway. He opened his mouth again to grab the toy and again, he hesitated. Turning his head away, he muttered a curse and ran to the pet door.

Sai waited patiently for the other cat to appear, his tail bobbing to a steady rhythm, his amber eyes peering into the house. He’d never seen the orange Somali before. He knows most of the cats in the neighbourhood, as he would often try to socialise with them, looking through the windows curiously to see if anyone wanted to play with him. The prospect of meeting someone new intrigued him.

“Hey, did you wait long? Sorry!” Naruto panted, slightly out of breath from all the running he had done and walked cautiously towards the black Bengal, still unsure of how friendly the other cat would be.

Sai in turn, got up to greet Naruto, circling him like a vulture, eyes running over his bright fluffy coat and plumed tail. He leant forward, taking a whiff near the scruff of the other’s neck and Naruto did the same, a common practice during introductions for cats. He grinned the kind of grin only a cat could produce but Naruto didn’t feel its warmth. He sensed that Sai was nice enough but there was something odd about him that Naruto couldn’t get his paw on. On the outside, he looked like any Bengal would, with short, thick hair and long yet powerful limbs. Something was still off about him.

“You have a wonderful scent,” Sai commented, “and your coat is very beautiful. We don’t get many cats like you. Especially not females.”

Eh? Naruto blinked a couple of times. Female? “Err…Sai. I think you’ve got it all wrong. I’m a boy cat,” Naruto explained, his tail wrapping around him, feeling suddenly self-conscious of his flamboyant appearance.

The smile never left Sai’s face as he raked his amber eyes over Naruto’s form. “Are you sure? You look pretty female to me and besides, do you even call that thing between your legs a penis?”

“W-what?” Naruto took back whatever positive thought he ever had towards the Bengal, his image of him being his new friend had shattered. Pushing on his hind legs, he made himself look bigger, his long hair raised, all the way to the tips of his tail. With his ears pressed back, Naruto hissed, offended that this masculinity was questioned. Sure he looked damn pretty enough to be a show cat, but to say how he didn’t have a dick was an outright insult! “Why, you!” he seethed, ready to attack, while Sai blinked slowly at him, amused to his reaction.

“So, what do you want to play, dickless?” His eyes glittered with humour.

Naruto gritted his teeth together. “I dare you to say that again!” Forget playing, he was going to have a rough and tumble as a cure for his boredom today. How he’d like to wipe that creepy smile off that…that pervert cat! Yeah, show him who’s boss! Make him walk with his tail between his legs whenever Naruto sees him! Yeah!

“Oh, since you were a housecat, I didn’t think you’d have any ear diseases,” Naruto once again, blinked at that, slightly confused. “But I’ll talk slowly and clearly for you. What. Do. You. Want. To. Play. DICKLESS?” He emphasised each word for the Somali, who’s tail thrashed back and forth in anger, the cat’s version of a “fuck you!”.

“Oi, what are you two morons doing here?”

Naruto whipped his head to the direction of that familiar voice. “Sasuke!”

If possible, Sai’s creepy smile widened, the look in his eyes growing more mischievous. “Why, Sasuke-kun, would you like to join us and play as well?”

From the top of the tree branch, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the black cat for addressing him so familiarly, but had no intentions of interacting with him. His head turned towards Naruto, taking in his bristled state, his body language defensive. Leaping off the branch like a cougar, he landed gracefully to the ground below. With an air of indifference, he sauntered towards the two, head held high like the royal cat that he was, carving a path so that he separated the two felines.

Odd relief filled Naruto at the thought of having his playmate by his side. Great, some back up! His ears wagged excitedly over the thought of the two tag teaming and beating the shit out of Sai.  “Sasuke, you won’t believe this jerk!” Naruto started. “Help me pummel him to the ground! You know what he said to me?! He said-”

Without looking at the Somali, he said in a commanding voice, “Naruto, Emi will be home soon. Get inside.”

“E-eh?” Naruto’s ears drooped down slightly at Sasuke’s words, his fur no longer ruffled, lying flat against his skin. Sasuke wasn’t going to help him out? “But Sasuke-!” Naruto protested, voice bordering on sounding whiney, stomping a foot down. Listen to him, damn it! The stupid pervert had just insulted him, the least he could do was scratch him like he did whenever Naruto irritated him! Stupid Sasuke!

The Russian blue turned his head slowly, the glare he threw over his shoulder told Naruto that he shouldn’t argue with him and do as he says. “Inside,” he repeated curtly, eyes flashing dangerously, darkening, and faced forward again. He didn’t miss the look of defeat or the small pout of disappointment Naruto sported. His voice came out softer this time, “I thought about it and decided you can have one of my old toys. I suppose I don’t need them anymore.”

Naruto instantly brightened at this. “Really?” he asked, his fluffy tail swishing to which Sasuke sighed and nodded in confirmation. He’ll get to play with a toy? Really? He was so happy, he almost forgot about the other dark cat. _Almost_. “H-hey, you pervert, where the fuck do you think you’re sniffing?!” he shrieked, jumping away from Sai.

Sai hummed. “Well, you smell male enough but your tiny penis still baffles me.”

“You see, Sasuke? This is why you and I have to fight him!” The Somali insisted.

Sasuke scoffed. “I don’t have time for such nonsense. Inside, now.” He stepped forward, whether the orange cat would follow him or not, he didn’t care. But Naruto was two steps behind him, he could hear the soft pitter-patter of his footfalls. He reached the pet door, head pushing the flap so that he could enter but Sai’s voice halted him.

“You never were good at sharing, Sasuke-kun,” The Bengal taunted, a few hackles bubbling at the back of his throat. “I’m so jealous though. I wished _I_ had a playmate.” Thoroughly ignored, Sasuke did not even give him an annoyed "Tch" much less glance his way and pushed through the door.

Sai’s words struck something within Naruto as he slid through the pet door. Maybe…Sasuke had accepted him? Else, he wouldn’t get so defensive, right? Like how he would get whenever Naruto trudged on Sasuke’s belongings? He felt strangely warm and a little touched, his tail quivering from the feeling. “Hey, Sasuke,” He covered the distance Sasuke had created between them. “Did you just admit to Sai that I’m _your_ playmate?” The grin he sent his way was hopeful, blissful even. Maybe Sasuke wasn’t such a bad cat after all.

The silvery blue cat glanced over his shoulder again, to throw Naruto a bored look and tilted his head slightly, giving a smirk. “Hn, usuratonkachi.”

Naruto stood there, mouth slightly agape. He had to admit it but Sasuke looked pretty cool with that smirk and had left him entranced, but there was no way he would ever let Sasuke hear him say that. Bastard’s ego was amply engorged already, he didn’t need Naruto thinking his playmate was amazing. Nevertheless, he felt delighted that Sasuke hadn’t thought of him as a total nuisance. There was hope in their relationship after all. “Ne, ne, Sasuke! Which toy did you decide to give me?” he asked enthusiastically, bounding next to his playmate.

Sasuke seemed to think of it for a while. “I take it back, I don’t want to give you anything.” And with that, he walked away from the orange cat, in favour of cleaning himself by the windowsill.

“Ehhh?!” Naruto felt like he’d been hit with a tonne of bricks. “Sasuke, teme! Come back here! You promised! Hey, I said come back here!”

When Emi came home, she found Naruto chasing after the Russian blue, who avoided him with ease, both parties breathing heavily from the chase, a certain gleam in their eyes. She smiled, pleased that her two cats were starting to get along and play with each other. When they realised her presence though, they quickly abandoned their game to greet her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, leaving kudos, subscribing and bookmarking my work! Seeing that makes me so happy omg... You guys are simply wonderful! ♥ I hope you look forward to reading the next one ^^ It's posted on tumblr already but I think it needs another once over and a few little tweaks before I'll post it here. As always, like, share and tell me what you think :D


	3. The Cat Burglar

**Warnings** : T for fluff, Sasuke’s dirty mouth and slight mention of blood. Light proofreading and unbeta’d.

 **Disclaimer** : Don’t own. Saskitty and Narukitty here is Emelie’s tho hahaha Also, none of the humans in this fic are like this in real life. _Maybe_.

* * *

 

It was the smell of sizzling bacon wafting from the kitchen which woke Sasuke up. He wasn’t aware it was already morning, seeing as he went to sleep much later nowadays, night brawls with Naruto to try and force him into keeping his annoying loud mouth shut was nothing short of exhausting. He rolled onto his other side, still not ready to get out of bed just yet and blinked dreamily at how ethereal the room looked from the morning light streaming from the windows, the dust catching the light made them look like fairy dust. With a stretch, his claws popped out involuntarily and he pawed the purple cushion of his little nest before stepping out. He put a little spring to his steps to work the little kinks off his joints that had settled in from sleep.

He briefly wondered if Naruto was already awake, seeing he had chosen a sleeping spot near Emi’s room. A small rumble of jealousy bloomed within him at the thought that he might be spending breakfast with his master. He hadn’t heard the door to her room open or the creak of the stairs whenever she stepped on the third to last step when descending but then again he might have been too tired to notice all the little details. Though, he’s positive there’s definitely _someone_ in the kitchen as of this moment. Unless…

Sasuke shook his head. No, it couldn’t be. Or is it? Poking his head through the doorframe, sure enough, there was someone behind the stove. They had their back to him, long dark hair moving side to side as they bobbed their head to some unknown music inside their mind. Sasuke made a bold guess that it would be something classical like Mozart or somewhat and this was later confirmed when they let slip a small hum of a more elaborate rendition of twinkle, twinkle little star. There was no mistaking it. It was _her_. He scowled on the inside for being falsely woken up to what he thought would be his master in the kitchen. He was just about to back himself up quietly so she wouldn’t notice him.

The Russian blue nearly jumped out of his skin at how startled he was and had nearly gave his position away when the damned Somali rubbed himself against him as he slid up next to him. At first, he abhorred this action but he had learned that just letting the Somali do whatever affectionate gesture he pleased would save him from trying to push the fluffier feline off him because he would _insist_ on personal contact, so better to let him get it done and over with.

“Hey, Sasuke, who’s she?” Naruto asked in a hushed voice that Sasuke was surprised he was capable of. The orange cat had remained at his side, their fur touching and bushy tail flicked against him curiously as he eyed the person in the kitchen. “I woke up thinking it was Emi making breakfast.” His voice held some sort of disappointment, apparently he wasn’t the only one fooled into thinking their owner had gotten up before them.

“Doesn’t matter,” he answered curtly. “We need to get out of here without making any sudden movements.” And he made to move again but Naruto, as he always was, was insistent.

The Somali suddenly had his ears pushed down and out, lips curling back in a feral manner. “If she’s an intruder, we have to do something, Sasuke!”

Sasuke head butted him in annoyance. He really didn’t want to explain this _now_ but this was _Naruto_. “No, moron, she’s the neighbour next door and has keys to the house. Now come on, we best leave before-”

And as always, Naruto had selective hearing, which pissed Sasuke off immensely, and had cut him off. “She’s a friend?” he asked brightly, Sasuke briefly wondered at how fast he had switched between friendly and aggressive. “Then we should greet her, Sasuke!” he said excitedly and had made a move to walk through the door frame.

“No, idiot!” Sasuke hissed and made a desperate grab at Naruto’s tail. No matter what, they can’t be discovered!

The pained shriek Naruto had let out had gotten the attention of the figure tending the stove and Sasuke mentally swore. Not because Naruto had kicked him in the eye with his hind leg for biting on his tail but because he knew what was coming next. Naruto on the other hand had shot away from Sasuke, probably to sulk and leave him to his doom. He won’t make it, seeing as the person had already stridden towards the door to see what the commotion was about. Fuck, time to face the music…

“Sasuke- _chan_!” came the high pitched squeal and Sasuke groaned. Here it comes. Before he knew it, he was flying through the air before pulled into her insanely bone-crushing hugs. “Who’s the prettiest kitty in the world?” she cooed, rubbing her cheek against his furry one. “You are! Yes you are, Sasuke-chan!” Sasuke remained motionless, if he were lucky she’d think he was dead and let him go but he had no such luck and was petted and stroked from his head to his tail.

“Nora? What are you doing here? I thought you were coming back next week.”

Emi had appeared, still clad in her pyjamas, hair tousled from sleep and in her arms was a smug looking Naruto, who found comfort in his master’s embrace after how mean Sasuke had been with him. Seeing how his master is present, he started wriggling in the other girl’s arms, demanding to be let go. Naruto only snickered at his failed attempts. The Russian blue narrowed his green eyes at him. Traitor.

Emi took a whiff of the air. “Something smells good,” she commented before turning her head back to her friend. “How was the Netherlands?”

“Eh, clogs, tulips and windmills. Same old, same old.” The crazy neighbour said nonchalantly, waving her hand in the air. “Enough about me though. Just who is this little cutie?” She crouched so that she was at eye level with the orange cat in Emi’s arms.

The owner of the house chuckled. “This is Naruto, Sasuke’s new playmate,” Emi explained. “Say hello, Naruto.”

Naruto turned his head back to look at his owner, one ear pressed to his skull, as if in question about their visitor’s sanity. Normally, Naruto would be excited to meet new people but if Sasuke was apprehensive about this person, surely she meant trouble, right? He was just about to duck his head down into the crook of Emi’s arm when a hand suddenly shot out to his peripheral vision. He raised his head, leaning forward to the offered hand and sniffed. This human knows how to approach animals. That knowledge led him to believe that this Nora person is familiar with cats, albeit crazy with Sasuke. “Hello,” he greeted, though it sounded like a mew to human ears, and timidly licked her finger, which pleasantly tasted like bacon. He hadn’t realised that he had kept licking the tasty digit until Sasuke’s vexed growl brought him to attention.

Coming back from the eruption of giggles, the dark haired human patted Naruto’s fluffy head. “My, you’re much friendlier than Sasuke-chan, I must say,” Her eyes slanted down to the cat in her arms, her tone teasing. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Naru-chan.”

The introductions were cut short from the tell-tale rumble of hunger from Emi. She smiled sheepishly at her friend, hugging the orange cat closer to ease her embarrassment. They shared a laugh and both humans entered the kitchen with a cat in their arms. Emi had seated herself at the table while Nora started pouring pancake batter and had since let Sasuke go in favour of making breakfast.

Sasuke hopped onto the chair next to Emi, he knows not to set foot on the dining table, unlike Naruto, who had both his paws on the table, sniffing and licking away any crumbs. He scrunched up his nose at the horrific display of manners. Purring to get her attention, he was rewarded with a scratch behind his ear, to which his green eyes slid behind his lids in content. The two humans made light conversation, talking about human things that Sasuke found irrelevant. He much preferred the attention his master was giving. His features had turned soft, his whole body relaxed and his tail was swinging lightly, making Naruto stare at him with amazement, his blue hues glittering. Not that he had noticed, caught up in the pleasure of being scratched at his weak spot. He had almost pouted when the hand pulled away in favour of grabbing a fork, the soft clack of the plate set on the table and the waft of butter made him blink his eyes open.

Naruto’s pink nose poked at the food and he saw Sasuke frown from the corner of his eye for such rude behaviour. He leaned back, slouching against Emi, a little disappointed that he won’t have his morning meal yet but if Sasuke could hold himself back, then he could too. _Maybe_. The familiar soft clicks called him to attention but it came from the human across the table, waving a milky cat treat between her fingers. Mesmerised at the sight of food, he jumped onto the table, Sasuke’s warning cry deftly ignored and crossed the table, the tips of his ears and tail straight in attention. The human smiled at him and let him eat from the palm of her hand, saying how he was a good boy. The Somali was happy, licking off any residue and was presented with another treat. He mewled, liking the shower of attention he was getting.

Look at him, being all familiar with her just because she gave him treats. The Russian blue scoffed as he climbed onto Emi’s lap, eyes darkening at how Naruto’s feathered tail was quaking in glee. He turned away, curling against his master when an arm wrapped around him. “Don’t get too comfortable with her, she might just snatch you away,” Sasuke warned, wanting to scare him.

“You’re such a sourpuss!” Naruto huffed indignantly. “I think she’s rather nice,” Naruto responded to the empty threat and meowed happily before brushing his cheek against Nora’s arm, who seemed unaffected that Naruto’s long hair from his moving tail was floating everywhere.

Sasuke clenched his teeth. “You’re a moron, you wouldn’t know any better,” he bit back.

The owner of the two cats was very much lost in the bliss of fluffy pancakes and crisp bacon, not noticing the growing tension between her two pets. Then again, the two growling at each other was not an uncommon thing in this household, for Sasuke still hadn’t quite warmed up to their newest addition. Running her fingers through Sasuke’s soft fur, she hummed in satisfaction as the buttery treat melted in her mouth, happy her friend was back to make breakfast again.

While the argument between the two felines went unnoticed to their owner, it did catch the attention of their guest. Lips curled back into a knowing smile when Sasuke threw another insult between them. Gently, she pulled Naruto onto her lap, who went without a protest and for his cooperation, she reached into her apron pocket to give him another treat. “That’s a good kitty,” she praised, “I’m sure Sasuke-chan’s just jealous because you’re getting all the attention.” She threw a smirk at Sasuke’s direction.

Naruto nodded in agreement, which made Sasuke hiss. He nudged his slightly wet nose to her palm, a low purr rumbled in his throat.

“Or he’s just h-angry,” came the jab and the Russian blue’s lips pulled back to let out a menacing growl. “Definitely h-angry.” Nora chuckled and got up from her seat, carrying Naruto with her towards the food cabinet. Rummaging through all the different kinds of cat food, she opted for the boxed crackers, pouring them into the pet bowl.

Without a word, Sasuke hopped off his owner’s lap and made his way to the feeding area. Of course, he would get first claim to food served at mealtimes. Naruto had made no movements to eat from the pet bowl, he had learned that the hard way, Sasuke made sure of it. Satisfied that the feline had heeded his previous warnings, he brushed passed him and lowered his head to feed. His green eyes flitted to the Somali sitting beside him as he ate. He sure trained him well, Naruto waited patiently for Sasuke to finish his share, even as his stomach growled, demanding to be fed.

“Hey,” he called out and the fluffy cat turned his head towards him, a little surprised. “Just this once, you may eat with me.” Sasuke said quietly and shifted himself over to give Naruto some space. Naruto was a little reluctant, eyeing the blue cat questionably. Perhaps he thought it was some trick. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?” And as if on cue, Naruto’s stomach moaned in hunger.

Hesitant at first, Naruto slowly stepped closer to Sasuke and the pet bowl. Sasuke had paid no mind to him and continued eating. When he lowered his head, he kept his blue eyes on him, waiting, but Sasuke went on with his activities. Deeming it safe, Naruto took a few bites. He felt warm, glad that for the first time, he was sharing a meal with Sasuke. “Thanks, teme,” he thanked him softly between bites. Occasionally their noses would touch when they reached down at the same time.

* * *

 

When Sasuke came back from hunting one day, he was mildly surprised that the human was here again. It would still be hours before Emi came back from work so her presence in the house arose some suspicion. Plastering himself to the wall, he watched as she searched under the couch and table. He narrowed his eyes. What was she doing? He stilled his breathing as the human went on all fours looking under the furniture. Tail erect and ears turned out in alert, Sasuke’s heart was beating fast in anxiousness. Was he going to catch her doing something criminal? He breathed out slowly. No, surely she wouldn’t. She is Emi’s friend.

Although Sasuke was determined to keep an eye on their next door neighbour, he got distracted from his task when his eyes caught a familiar orange bush of a tail swaying side to side. Naruto! The Somali was tucked under the wing chair by the fireplace, only his tail poking out from the draping fabric at the back had revealed his location. He’d been here the whole time but why exactly was he hiding underneath the chair? Was he secretly spying on her as well? Oh, shit, that’s right! He turned away from the other feline in favour of observing the human again. A scowl marred her face as she lifted one of the throw pillows over her head only to find nothing underneath. What exactly was she searching for?

“Hmm, not here, eh? Where else can I search?” A finger tapped on pink lips as the human paused to think, eyes scanning the room.

Oh, she’s definitely looking for something. All Sasuke had to do was wait patiently to catch her in the act. Lowering himself to the floor, he hid his presence, slowing down his breathing and curling his tail closer to his body. He trained his eyes as she walked towards the bookcase, holding a breath each time she lifted or shuffled something over and letting it out silently when she placed them back. He still wasn’t sure what she’s looking for but he hoped she wouldn’t find it. His green eyes followed her making her way to one of the end tables, dangerously close to where Naruto is. That dobe better not make any sudden movements and get caught spying.

Setting the vase back in its original position, Nora gave out a frustrated sigh and placed both hands on her hips, gathering her thoughts. After a while, she blew her fringe away from her eyes and got on her knees again. “I won’t go home yet,” she said quietly to herself but Sasuke’s sensitive ears heard them loud and clear.

She’s acting far too suspicious and alarms were going off in his head. Lifting a paw, he took a careful step forward, keeping his eyes on her in case she notices him, but she doesn’t and he moved towards her, keeping himself close to the wall. His heart nearly stopped when she crawled towards the chair Naruto was under. Dobe, get out of there! Why isn’t that idiot moving? Surely, he could see her approaching! He knew the moron would get caught, he knew it! He shifted closer, his steps hurried but light like a ninja.

“Have I checked under here?” Fingers gripped on the fabric flap, about to pull it up.

Fuck, fuck, fuckity, fuck! That usuratonkachi! Why isn’t he moving? A million different scenarios were running through Sasuke’s mind on how he could distract her so Naruto would have time to escape and the most effective he believed was if he gave himself up to her. He opened his mouth, ready to meow to catch her attention when Naruto pushed his head out to reveal himself, sporting a mischievous grin.

Nora laughed. “Found you, Naru-chan!” She gathered the cat when he hopped into her lap. Looking at her wrist, she announced happily that 15 minutes had gone by. “It’s official, you won, Naru-chan!” she exclaimed, smiling at the Somali. Naruto mewed happily and licked her nose.

Sasuke wasn’t sure what was going on, still rooted at the spot. When his brain finally caught up with him, he released a growl of annoyance. Stupid human. Stupid Naruto. He got worked up over nothing. They were just playing some stupid game. Getting up to his feet, he turned away from the both of them, nose in the air, tail flicking angrily. He should have known there wasn’t something going on. The human isn’t smart enough to pull a heist and Naruto’s too stupid to be on surveillance. Morons, both of them. Sasuke was too busy cursing the other two occupants in the room, he didn’t notice Naruto approach him. That was until he rubbed himself against him, making his hair stand straight.

“Welcome home, Sasuke,” Naruto greeted his playmate, unaffected by the glare sent his way. “How was your hunt today?” he asked curiously, his tail wrapped around him as he sat down.

“Fine,” Sasuke answered snappily, still a little irritated. “You seemed to be having fun with the human.”

Naruto chuckled, he never could figure out why the dark cat was always so grumpy. “Her name is Nora, Sasuke,” he began but Sasuke shot him a look that said how little he cared about addressing the human by her name. “I like her. She’s really nice once you get to know her.”

The Russian blue let out a huff. “Hn. And I bet you’ve gotten to know her pretty damn well, huh?” he questioned venomously, his claws coming out involuntarily and he tried to reel his anger back in.

The orange cat turned his head towards the human fussing to get the room back in order after their game, his bushy tail hugged himself tighter, his smile faltering slightly. “She keeps me company. It’s nice having someone to play with whenever you go out.”

Sasuke felt his chest constrict at Naruto’s words. They seemed hollow and his eyes, his blue eyes that sparkled like a million stars, for one vulnerable moment, seemed dull. What is this feeling? He took a step back, almost as if he was dodging a blow. He wanted to make some sort of retort, he wanted to call the feline stupid for not being able to entertain himself, he wanted to say _something_ but all words died in his throat, his tongue heavy as lead. He had never felt this way before and could not understand why he felt such a way. Why would it bother him if Naruto looked sad? His lip twitched, his taut jaw opening as he tried to form words. But suddenly Naruto grinned up at him.

“Nora says she’s going to make a nice treat for me later!” he announced. “We can share it if you want, Sasuke.”

The blue coated cat instantly recoiled at the offering. “Tch. I don’t want to spoil dinner.” He walked away to his spot on the windowsill, ignoring the strange feeling he was assaulted with again when he saw the disappointment on Naruto’s face. He looked up into the sky outside. Ah, the skies are going to start crying again. The pang in his chest made him shoot up to his feet. He suddenly didn’t feel like sky gazing anymore and opted to take a cat nap in his basket until Emi returns.

* * *

 

It wasn’t long before her next visit, besides making breakfast in the mornings that is, and this time she brought with her some cat toys for Naruto. Sasuke watched as Naruto curiously sniffed the plastic packages presented to him by the human from the corner of his eye. He had pawed them, trying to get the toys out and pouting when he couldn’t. What a moron. Sasuke was on his back, exposing his belly to his favourite human, his green eyes slowly opening and closing, showing his affection. He extended a paw to swipe playfully at the fingers above him, letting a soft rumble of content.

“Why don’t you go over and see what Naruto got as a present?” Emi asked sweetly, letting Sasuke’s paw cling onto one of her fingers. “I’m sure he’d share them with you if you asked nicely.”

Sasuke made a face, one that implied that he was not happy, a face akin to sulking were he human and meowed unhappily at his owner, covering his eyes with his other paw. She laughed at his antics, grabbing hold of his paw and massaged it lightly. He peeked through his paw and let out a soft meow. If only she could understand how much he’d rather spend time with her instead of the idiotic fluff ball.

“You know Sasuke,” Emi began as she cradled the cat in her arms as if he were a new born baby. “As much as I’m happy how you don’t get too jealous now that Naruto’s here it does worry me how much you don’t get along with him.” She paused to rub the spot between his eyes soothingly with her forefinger. “You’re a smart cat, you know Naruto’s not a replacement so I know it’s not jealousy. What is it about him you dislike so much, hmm?”

The Russian blue took a moment to think about it. His owner was right, it’s not jealousy, well maybe it was _at first_ but he’d gotten over that because he knew that Emi loved them equally. Though he and his ego would prefer that Emi loved him more. His eyes slanted to look over him again, how ecstatic he looked now that his toys were free from their plastic confinement, climbing the human to lick her cheek in thanks. He turned his head away and repositioned himself in his owner’s arms. He was now resting his chin on her shoulder, eyes closed as his mind tried to forget about the fox-like Somali.

Emi caressed his back, rubbing her thumbs in soothing circles before smoothing out his thick and shiny fur. “I know it might take some time but I hope that you two will be the best of friends.” She patted his head, his fur was a bit longer there and it stuck out lightly at the back, almost like he had cowlicked hair. “I don’t want you to be lonely, Sasuke. That’s why I got Naruto as your playmate. Things might be getting busy so I won’t be home a lot to entertain you.”

Sasuke stiffened and pulled back, looking into his owner’s eyes. He gave a soft nod, not really agreeing to have Naruto as a playmate but more of an understanding on where his owner was coming from. His rough tongue licked her chin tentatively, mewling fondly at just how much Emi cared for his wellbeing and would go to great lengths to make him feel more at ease. The purr reverberated through his human as he pressed his head against her chin, silently thanking her for her efforts.

“Eh, so Sasuke-chan has a softer side too?”

The blue cat whipped his head to the two on the floor, giving them a menacing glare but they just gave him identical looks of wonder. Naruto was on her lap, a toy in his mouth, shaped like a fish cake. The human probably thought she it was the most hilarious thing when she bought it for him, considering how Naruto’s name could also mean the famous ramen topping.

Those round blue eyes blinked up at him and he slipped away from the human’s hold as she began to make light chatter. An uneasy feeling welled up inside him as Naruto approached, his movements slow and a little hesitant. Whatever happened to bowling him over? Sasuke scoffed at the thought but when they were nose to nose, Sasuke stood his ground giving him a cold look as if to ask “What do you want?” Dobe. He added silently to his thoughts.

With the toy still in his mouth, Naruto spoke, voice muffled. “Sas-keh, youh look reahlly cute.”

What? His paw automatically shot up to swipe at his face, causing Naruto to spit out his toy from the force. Above him he could hear the shocked voices from the humans but it’s like his ears were stuffed with cotton balls and only the wild thrumming of his heart was clear. In his defence, it was a natural reaction. Who the hell does that? Suddenly calling him cute. He’s not cute! He’s a dignified cat from a long line of royal purebreds! But Naruto thought nothing of it and jumped off to retrieve the fallen toy.

“Maa, maa, Sasuke-chan, you needn’t be so rough towards Naru-chan. If you don’t treat him nicely, I might just take him off your paws.” The human teased, a hand coming down to pat his head. Felt more like she was trying to beat him though, probably did, considering just how much she likes “Naru-chan”. It dawned on him he wasn’t being smothered by her like always. Ever since her encounter with Naruto, she hadn’t held him in her arms. He guessed he should be glad that the idiot was useful for _something_.

Emi laughed at the joke but played along anyway. “Oh no, that would be terrible. If you take him, I don’t think I can find another suitable playmate for Sasuke.”

Suitable? That dobe? The Somali had grabbed the toy with his mouth and zipped back to Sasuke, lowering the toy near his front paws and stepped off, sitting at the floor and looking at him expectantly. Sasuke arched a brow, if he had any, at this, silently questioning the feline’s intentions.

His owner somehow understood Naruto better. “How nice, you two are playing with Naruto’s new toy.”

Sasuke looked up at his owner, her smile urging him to play and although he felt a tick on his temple at such absurdity he released a sigh of defeat. He figured he could indulge him for a little while, it certainly would make Emi happy. So with a flick, he sent the toy flying to the other end of the room and Naruto had tried to catch it, jumping in the air on his hind legs. He missed and the toy bounced three times on the carpet before sliding under a foot stool.

Three pairs of eyes observed the Somali chase after it and crouch in front of the stool, a paw thrusted into the narrow gap to grope for the toy blindly. His tongue stuck out in concentration, making the humans laugh at the cat’s silliness.

“I should get myself a cat,” the neighbour mused, perching her chin on her palm, looking amused as Naruto wiggled his bottom, his feather-like tail dancing. “They’re such cute creatures and offer great entertainment.” She turned to her friend who nodded in agreement.

“You really should! Life with Sasuke and now with Naruto has certainly made my life more interesting.” Emi absentmindedly stroke Sasuke’s silvery blue fur.

Sasuke saw the human’s eyes glint when she turned her head back towards Naruto who came dashing back with the toy, her malicious smile made Sasuke clench his teeth tightly. Her voice dropped a little as she hummed in thought. “Yes, a fluffy rambunctious cat would be nice,” she murmured and when she caught Sasuke’s eyes, she gave a small wink, causing the cat to look away, annoyed.

When Naruto appeared, he left the toy by Sasuke’s feet again, he sat patiently on the floor, his expression playful, tail waving side to side. When Sasuke made no movement to swat the toy again, he mewed, calling for Sasuke’s attention. He set his paws on the edge of the loveseat and pressed his nose against the flower looking toy and sat back down again, looking at Sasuke hopefully. Sasuke’s ears flicked back and forth in annoyance. What is he, a dog? Tch. In one smooth swoop, the toy went flying again and like before, Naruto had leapt trying to catch it with his front paws.

The game went on for a while, with Sasuke sending the toy in different directions each time. Sometimes he made it more challenging, aiming for the toy to skid under low furniture, Naruto having to crawl in and reach for the toy. Every so often, he tossed it higher in the air, Naruto making impressive flips to catch it. Hn. He rather liked this game of catch, it more or less gave him superiority over the Somali. All the while, Naruto looked happy, a proud smile on his face each time he was able to retrieve the toy and present it to Sasuke.

“Again, Sasuke!” Naruto said as he set the toy down.

Sasuke’s expression turned sour, his nostrils flaring in anger. Doesn’t he ever get tired? Or bored? They had been playing this game close to two hours now. “That’s enough, dobe. I’m tired. Go play on your own.” With that, Sasuke hopped off.

“Ehh? But it’s not fun playing on my own!” Naruto grabbed the toy and trotted after Sasuke, whining for him to continue playing with him.

Sasuke quickened his steps, determined to get away. “Stop following me, you usuratonkachi!”

Naruto wasn’t about to give up. “Saskeeeeeeeeeh!” he called out and when Sasuke attempted to make a run for it, he jumped at him, tackling him to the floor. “Let’s play, Sasuke!”

With a huff, he slipped out of Naruto’s hold. “Tomorrow. I said I’m tired, you stupid cat,” he said, his voice clearly telling Naruto how exhausted he was.

The fox-like cat nodded enthusiastically. “Tomorrow. It’s a promise, okay?”

Stifling a yawn, the silver coated feline waved the statement off. “Yes, yes, whatever. I’m going to bed.” He was glad when the other cat nodded in agreement, he was far too tired to deal with him but before he walked away, he swatted the toy between the Somali’s jaws one last time before retiring for the night. He didn’t miss the look on his face and he himself was trying to hold down a smirk as they both went their separate ways.

* * *

 

But their little play date for the next day never came. Sasuke was out for most of the day, darting out right after breakfast when Emi had left. He only came back after nightfall, his fur a little ruffled and spent the time after dinner cuddling up with Emi and grooming himself. Naruto had approached him as he licked his tail and was met with a hiss and unsheathed claws. He must have had a bad day so the orange Somali settled by his owner’s feet, chewing his new and only toy. It was a quiet night for the three of them, only the click clacking from Emi’s laptop filled the room as she writes a new chapter. Naruto felt he shouldn’t disturb this quiet setting in engaging a game of catch with Sasuke. He could always ask him the next day.

That day too, never came. Sasuke had left him in the house alone again and he found himself playing with his fluffy tail. He was adamant in only playing with his new toy with the blue feline. It wasn’t the same if he had thrown it by himself, no satisfaction of successfully retrieving it like he did when he played with Sasuke. He sighed and rolled over, ears and tail flicking impatiently. When will Sasuke get home? His eyes slowly blinked to a close. Maybe if he took a cat nap, Sasuke will be here to play with him by the time he wakes up.

“Dobe, it’s dinner time,” came the voice above him.

Naruto opened his eyes groggily. How long was he asleep? He jumped to his feet. More importantly, when did Sasuke get home? Looking around the room, his playmate had already left for the kitchen to eat his meal and by the time he had finished stretching and entered the kitchen, Sasuke was done and strode over to Emi’s side. Naruto harrumphed, stupid teme was avoiding him again. He probably didn’t want to play tonight either. And he was right, he didn’t. Nor did he want to play the next day, or the next.

What is with that stupid bastard? He promised that he would play with him! Naruto rolled over restlessly from side to side, frustrated as he was once again denied of getting some playtime with Sasuke. His fluffy ears drooped down as he remembered just how many times Sasuke had rejected his offer. He was so bored! He even thought about playing with _Sai_ were he come to visit again but of course they wouldn’t play with his new toy. No, that was something he would only share with Sasuke.

It occurred to him that he could always go outside and explore instead of staying cooped up in the house alone. He wanted to but he still wasn’t familiar with Sasuke’s territory and in the few weeks since he’s been here, only went out as far as the porch. Besides, he didn’t want to dirty his fur and trouble Emi with a bath. Being a long haired feline does have its drawbacks. He flipped on his other side, looking out of the glass door and briefly wondered if Sai was outside. He frowned. Surely he was not that desperate for company to settle for the perverted cat?

He did mention the neighbourhood was crawling with other cats though so perhaps he could make some other friends. Would he dare to step out into unknown territory though? Naruto had always felt a little self-conscious about the way he looked like. Being a Somali, he was more flamboyant than other cats and much to his chagrin, teased for being a solely indoor cat to play with others. He scrunched up his nose at that. Oh, to hell with it! He got to his feet and made a beeline to the pet door.

Stepping out, he breathed in the crisp fresh air. So far so good. He didn’t have to start exploring the neighbourhood straight away, he could just take baby steps and play in the garden first. With that decided, he ventured past the porch and into the field of wild flowers of varying colours. He sniffed each one of them, trying to associate each coloured flower with its scent. After getting friendly with the flowers, he laid on his back amongst the tall wild grasses, swatting at them each time the wind made them bend and dance. He rather liked it but this wasn’t for him. Naruto’s not a solitary cat who enjoys time alone in the garden. Nope. He needed someone else to be entertained, be it human, a fellow feline or-

“Hey, a roly-poly!” His eyes caught sight of the armoured creature crawling and he was on his feet again, running after it. “Do you want to play with me?” he questioned the bug but it merely inched away from him. He chased after it and when he nudged it with his nose, it rolled up into a ball. Naruto was humoured and he sniffed and pawed the insect playfully, making it roll away. As soon as it got away from him, he darted out to catch it and push it away again. He hadn’t realised that he had trailed away from the garden and that was when he caught that marvellous scent.

Naruto stuck his nose out to the air to pin point the location of where the scent was coming from. It was heady, intoxicating and he let his sniffer guide him to a patch of green leaves. What _is_ this smell? He breathed in the amazing aroma, his tail tingling with excitement. It’s delicious. He rubbed his nose against the rugged leaves, releasing more of its oils. Ohhh, yeah. He almost couldn’t get enough. Sticking out his tongue, he licked at the plant and it tasted as delectable as it smelled. Ahhh, what a yummy treat.

Naruto fell to his side, his mind a buzz, rolling on the patch of leaves, squashing and nuzzling them. Tearing a leaf overhead, he chewed on it and moaned in ecstasy. Mmm, so good! He opened his eyes blearily, not remembering when he had closed them. Oh wow, he never noticed the purple flowers before. He wondered if-? He nipped at the flower cluster. Ah, shit, this tastes amazing too! Hmm, he sure feels like he’s floating.

Screw it, if Sasuke doesn’t want to play with him he could just roll around here and just to spite him, he won’t share the pretty flowers. Yeah, that’ll show the meanie. Mmm, but the bastard’s not so bad. He offered to share dinner that one time and, and he looked _so_ cute the other night. Yeah, so cute… Naruto purred contently, feeling oddly satisfied and heavy. He rolled over to lie on his back to get comfortable, his tail curling in and out. Why was he so darn upset again? He never felt so blissful. His breathing slowed, eyes fluttering to a close. Sasuke…

The soft crunches of the grass broke through Naruto’s drunken state, making his ears twitch each time they took a step closer to him. With much difficulty, he cracked his eyes open. His vision was hazy and he tried to focus on the figure above him. It was blurry at first but the fuzzy dual image soon took shape.

“Heeeeeeeeey, Noraaaaa,” he slurred, feeling drool run down the side of his cheek. Funny, it’s like he had been chewing on a huge wad of bubble gum, he licked the roof of his mouth, trying to get rid of the sticky feeling.Oh shit, why are bubbles fizzing from his mouth like that? Sasuke would tell him off for being improper or something. He tried moving but found that he couldn’t, his body weak.

The human neighbour squatted down, observing the cat intently as he hacked up spit, wheezing when he accidentally swallowed some, tears glossing his bloodshot eyes. “Well my little pretty, it seems you’ve fallen into my trap.” Her voice was muddled to Naruto’s ears and he couldn’t think straight anymore. He briefly saw flashes of dots before his vision turned dark.

* * *

 

Something’s not right. That’s what Sasuke felt the second his head pushed through the pet door. Normally, even before he entered the house, he would hear Naruto scrambling to greet him and shoot questions about his day, where he went or how many birds he killed today but the orange Somali hadn’t bowled him over yet. He was on his toes, ears turning out to listen to any signs of life. There was only silence. Sasuke was almost tempted to call out the other feline’s name. But he didn’t and went into the kitchen to get a drink, his throat dry from running around so much.

As he bent his head down to lap at his water bowl, he noticed that the food bowl was recently filled. There was absolutely no way Naruto would leave food uneaten. Now, he knew Emi was working till late and the only other person with opposable thumbs that can freely come and go from this house is their neighbour. He snorted, and that was only because no one was home to hear him do it. So the dobe went out with her, eh? He drank his fill. He had to admit, it’s rather quiet without him.

It was several hours later when Emi returned, the click from the door signalling her arrival. Sasuke had spent his time lounging in bed. He never realised how silent the house was. Before Naruto had arrived, home didn’t feel all that cold like it did now when he’s alone. No matter how much he tried, he couldn’t remember how it felt to be the only one in the house. Now though, just him in the empty home felt strange. He had tossed and turned, groomed himself twice and played with his toys but something was just off. Was this what Naruto felt like in the brief periods Sasuke went out?

“My little man,” Sasuke titled his chin up as Emi scratched under it, giving a purr. “I hope you weren’t too lonely.”

Not anymore. His master is home now and so is- He jerked away from his human’s spoiling and craned his head to look behind her. It was empty. The usuratonkachi didn’t come back home. Pressing his cheek against Emi’s hand, he apologised for pulling away with soft mewls. At first he thought of the possibility that he had actually, even though it was within his intentions during the first few weeks, driven Naruto away. Knowing Naruto’s persistence to pester him and his love for Emi, he ruled it out. Idiot probably got lost or something and is taking a while to come home. That sounded more probable.

So for the first time since Naruto joined the household, Sasuke had spent the night with just his master. It was familiar yet odd at the same time. Usually, he would be fighting tooth and nail with the dobe when he wanted Emi’s affection but now he has it, exclusively. It has been a while since he’s done it but tonight, he slept in his human’s bed, huddled close to her, somehow having difficulties sleeping. Being a cat, he likes his sleep but tonight was a different night. He’d spent most of the night staring at the moon outside the window.

“Looks like it’s just you and me today, boy,” Emi said that morning.

Naruto had yet to come home. He’s not worried, Sasuke knows that Naruto, despite being a total moron sometimes, has a pretty good head over his shoulders. He’s a cat and cats have excellent survival instincts. He’s not worried. But Emi might be. Sasuke chanced a look at her who was making her morning tea. Aha! Tea is drunk as a means to unwind, which means his owner is stressed about something. Most likely about Naruto. What kind of pet would he be if he failed to make his master happy?

So he set out to search for the ruddy coated Somali in the name of Emi, taking the opportunity to slip out of the house while she showered. He caught his scent when he pressed his nose on the wooden floorboards of the porch and it led him to the garden. It was faint but it hadn’t rained so he would still be able to track him. Following the trail he left behind, his sensitive nose caught wind of a different kind of smell. Alluring, it briefly dazed him from his task. Stupid catnip. He concentrated more on Naruto’s unique scent but it seemed to get stronger alongside the catnip.

Was it possible that Naruto-? He might have, considering how potent catnip can be towards his fellow felines. If one does not have enough willpower to resist it, they could easily fall victim to the infamous cat drug. He too felt the urge to answer its call but he had grown accustom to it, enough that he can choose to indulge in it only if he felt like it. Naruto’s definitely been here and he can make an educated guess where he ended up and with whom. These plants are on her land, Sasuke never thought in a million years he’d go to her. The cat burglar.

Every feline in the neighbourhood talked about it how cats would be attracted to trudge through her land, falling prey to the catnip. She had planted different varieties, so the kitties would definitely find one suitable to them. They’d play in the catnip, getting high and drunk. And suddenly disappear, never to be heard of again. Hopping onto the window ledge, Sasuke peered into the window, trying to catch a glimpse of either the human or Naruto. His scent is strongest here but he could not find his presence. The house was empty. She took him, didn’t she?

They had spent the day together again, just him and Emi. Just like old times before Naruto crashed into their lives. Sasuke was strangely quiet, just lying on his human’s lap, his silvery blue fur being stroked. He didn’t purr, didn’t kneed his paws in pleasure. His appetite had lessened, desiring only to rest. It was almost as if he was lifeless. Emi had noticed his lethargic state right after she came back from her shower. The human of the household started to worry about her pet’s state of health and had taken him to bed with her that night so she could keep a close eye on him.

The next morning, things weren’t looking up. Sasuke merely took a few bites before retreating to his nest. Ah, he shouldn’t be making Emi worried like this. His green eyes followed her movements as she paced back and forth, a phone glued to her ear, letting her concerns be known to the person on the other end of the line. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling this way but he should suck it up soon. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. It can’t be helped. He’s just a cat. It’s not his problem and he should just shove this feeling away and take responsibility for Emi. Soon, but not now. Curling into a foetal position, he tried to get some shut eye.

The twist of the doorknob made his ear twitch in attention but he made no move to lift his head. It was when the door burst open that his body jumped and he took a defensive stance, fur puffed out, his ears pressed flat against his skull, hind legs extended back, making him look larger. His jaw went slack though when he focused at the door. Why are they here?

“Emi~” The human greeted in a singsong way. “We’re back!”

But Sasuke wasn’t paying attention to her. To hell with her! His eyes had zeroed in on the fluffy orange thing bounding towards him. He felt an odd sense of déjà vu now. The fur on his back and tail flattened once more. “Sasuke! Sasuke!” The feline called at him.

Sasuke huffed thinking how obnoxious he looks with that ruddy coat, just like the first time. Taking a step, he stepped off his basket and ran towards them. He saw the Somali halt as he came nearer but he passed him. He didn’t miss the look of bewilderment on his face as he did. He kept running until he reached the human.

“Oh, Sasuke-chan,” She crouched as he approached him, taking something out of her pocket. “I heard that you’re not feeling well so I came bearing gifts!”

Sasuke ignored every word she said. Just as she offered her hand full of treats, Sasuke stretched his jaws wide open and clamped down on the human’s hand. He bit her. He bit her hard, his canines piercing the supple flesh. Sasuke was growling wildly, trying to burn her with his eyes. He could hear panicked voices but nothing can stop him from his frenzied state. Nothing.

“Sasuke?” Naruto brushed against him, his face frowning. “I’m home.” He nuzzled he scruff of his neck, sniffing him lightly in greeting. Sasuke’s eased his grip on the hand in favour of inhaling the scent on the other cat.

Emi held the injured hand of her friend. Blood was seeping out of the puncture wounds. “Nora, I’m so, so, sorry about Sasuke. I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately. I’ll go get the first aid kit.”

With her injured hand, she petted the Russian blue. Sasuke turned his head sharply at her, hissing in distaste, his tail rod straight. Her lips curled back into a smile. She looked most amused, humour dancing in her eyes. “I told you I might steal him away,” she cackled and flashed him a wink.

* * *

 

“So, where did she take you?” asked Sasuke, who walked beside him, face forward. His blue coat turned silver in the daylight and Naruto, much like a magpie, couldn’t help but be distracted for a second before answering.

They carefully went through a bush, Naruto letting Sasuke take the lead through the narrow passage before he went to his side again. “What do you mean, Sasuke?”

The blue cat huffed and gave him a steely look, as if to say that his question was pretty obvious and that Naruto was a moron. “Yesterday, dobe,” he said, voice holding a hint of irritation. “The human. Where did she take you?” He tilted his head to the left, signalling a change in direction.

Naruto followed, their steps cracking the dried foliage below. He thought about it for a while, trying to remember. “We were at her home,” he paused, blinking to recall what the other place was. “But she did take me to this place that smells like piss. It had white walls and I got to eat lots there!”

Sasuke clicked his tongue. “You mean a clinic? I heard you got drunk on catnip, how stupid. You’re such a lightweight.”

The orange Somali bristled at the insult, bumping shoulders with his playmate so that he lost his footing. “Hey, it was a _specific_ type of catnip!” he exclaimed defensively. “I’ve never had them before, you jerk. I ate too much and got sick…” Naruto mumbled an explanation, his face hot, slightly ashamed to show his weakness in front of Sasuke. Sporting a pout, his tail and ears drooped down.

The smirk sent his way bordered on teasing, but somehow, Naruto felt that Sasuke wasn’t trying to mock him in any way. He felt slightly better knowing that. “Hn. You should be thankful you recovered quickly, usuratonkachi. She might have actually been trying to kill you,” he teased lightly but then he turned to him, voice stern. “Don’t get yourself in that kind of situation again, dobe, she’d probably take advantage of your vulnerability the next time.”

His heart sped up a little, a part of him silently hoping that Sasuke was worried about him. Though he wouldn’t say it out loud, and risk facing Sasuke’s wrath, he was just happy his playmate cared. “You make her sound so nasty,” he chuckled, amused, his tail dancing languidly behind him. “I swear, she’s nice.”

Sasuke was silent for a few moments. “They called her the cat burglar,” he said quietly, voice serious. Naruto waited for him to elaborate. “Some cats fall prey to the catnip she plants around her home and they suddenly disappear, the strays especially.” Those green eyes regarded him carefully.

Naruto opened his mouth slowly, then closed it. He brought his head down, body shaking, making Sasuke take a step closer to him in question. The blue feline nudged him with a paw. When he raised his head again, he was trying so hard to keep his emotions in check but it was so hard. He felt like bursting but it was no use. It was too much for him to handle. Rearing his head back, Naruto barked out a laugh that startled Sasuke. “Hahaha! S-Sasuke,” he gasped, trying to catch a breath. “Y-you can’t-!” He fell to the ground in a fit of laughter, rolling side to side in glee.

“What?” Sasuke bit out between clenched teeth, clearly not amused.

The orange tail brushed the side of his face, wiping away any tears from laughing too hard. Cocking his head up, he gave the fuming cat a megawatt smile after the laughing died down to soft chuckles. “You don’t actually believe that, do you, Sasuke?”

Sasuke stiffened, standing there feeling like an idiot. Without saying anything, he whipped to the side and continued walking, Naruto scrambling to get to his feet and telling him to wait up. When he caught up to him, Sasuke said tersely, “Not a word, dobe.”

“She rescues them. The strays, that is,” Naruto smiled at his companion, not intending to tease him further. “She gives them special food she makes with the plants around her house. When they get their strength back, she gives them to a good home.”

Sasuke nodded at the clarification. There goes that urban legend. “That’s nice,” he commented, unsure of what else to say.

Naruto’s smile widened and he eased up closer to Sasuke, their fur brushing against each other as they walked. “That place I told you about? She works there. They had all these different kinds of food and I got to try them all out!” His ears twitched excitedly, his swinging tail hitting Sasuke.

“Tch. Getting excited about food, that is so like you. I bet you like her more now because she made you nice and plump.”

“Yup!” Naruto beamed. Huh, wasn’t there some similar story about a gingerbread house or something like that? Then his eyes glinted playfully and rubbed his cheek against Sasuke’s affectionately. “You don’t have to get all jealous though, Sasuke’s still my best playmate!” he announced, dismissing the splutter of disbelief that came from his feline friend.

The Russian blue had half a mind to bite the other cat’s head off. He chose to hit him across the face with his tail instead and hurried forward. “How conceited. Don’t flatter yourself, moron.”

Naruto chuckled lightly and close the gap between them but chose to walk behind him instead, letting his playmate dwell on his embarrassment alone. “You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“Shut up. We’re almost there.” Sasuke said sternly as he glanced over his shoulder to shoot a glare at the Somali.

His jaw dropped when they reached it. It maybe because Naruto doesn’t get out much but this place was…beautiful. He let out a breath, not realising he had held it and let his eyes roam over the clearing. The terrain wasn’t smooth, dipping and rising into stratums. The ground was covered in a lush carpet of grass, moss covered boulders dotting here and there. The tall trees served as a fence surrounding the small alcove, its dense canopy only allowing light to pour in through the opening, as if it was a spotlight. Sasuke only smirked, watching Naruto’s expression as he took it all in.

“Is this your hunting ground?” Naruto asked, once he got his facial muscles to move.

Sasuke seemed to ponder if he should answer Naruto’s question, but decided against it. “See those boulders?” He motioned with his nose. “I chose this place because of them. The landscape too, it’s perfect for when we do it.”

One of Naruto’s ears folded down, confused. “For when we do what?” His tail tapped the ground restlessly.

The corner of Sasuke’s mouth turned up slightly, voice in mock surprise “Why, for when we play, of course. Don’t you think this place makes the perfect arena?”

Then it hit Naruto. Sasuke had gone out to look for a place for the both of them to play. He’d been coming home late and exhausted because he wanted to find a special place just for them. He’d done all of these things for Naruto. For _him_. Naruto felt himself flush, his tail wrapping around him, moved at his playmate’s efforts to bond. He shifted his weight to his other side, fidgeting as he tried to think of the proper thing to say. “Y-you…” he started but his feelings overwhelmed him. Sasuke only stared back with that cool smirk, looking smug at rendering him speechless. When he tried to thank him, Sasuke had cut him off.

“I figured that if I were to play with you, it might as well be something challenging. You might be able to shake off that housecat persona and gain a few hunting skills with the leaps you have to make. Are you scared, bibiri-kun?” His handsome face split into a devilish grin.

He was definitely making fun of him now but Naruto supposed it was Sasuke’s way of saying how he didn’t need a thank you, and let the comment slide. “Not a chance, bastard!” He got up to his feet, looking at Sasuke challengingly. “Don’t cry if I beat you. Oh! I didn’t bring my toy with me…” Naruto’s enthusiasm wilted. They came all this way too.

Sasuke dashed towards the tree closest to them, squeezing himself through the overlapping roots and returned with something white and feathery in his mouth. Releasing it, it rolled to Naruto’s front paw and he sniffed it curiously. “I gathered a few of these,” The Russian blue patted the shuttlecock. “Humans use these to play a different game. It’s definitely more interesting than that toy, the human gave you. I practiced, so I’ll know how to throw it.”

Naruto couldn’t help but be impressed with Sasuke. He had thought of everything. The place, the toy and he even practiced! Letting out a soft purr, he blinked at his playmate slowly, conveying his feelings. Even as Sasuke regarded him indifferently, he wanted to let Sasuke know how appreciative he was.

Sasuke slid away from him, ducking his head to avoid eye contact. He wouldn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t like he was doing this specially for Naruto. He just liked a something more stimulating than a simple game of catch. He cleared his throat and grabbed the shuttlecock before running to one of the boulders. “Let’s go, dobe. I’ll even give you a handicap.”

Chuckling, Naruto ran over to him. “No way, bastard, I want you to fight me fair and squa- Ow! TEMEEEEE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm so sorry this took so long but I do hope you've enjoyed it! I've already posted chapter 4 on my tumblr account so it should be posted here on the weekend.
> 
> I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read my humble fic and leave kudos/reviews. It means a lot to me that you guys like my work! ^^ Please tell me your thoughts about it in a review and please look forward to the next chapter!


	4. Slip and Slide (Special chapter)

**Warnings** : T for fluff, Sasuke’s dirty mouth and slight mention of blood. Light proofreading and unbeta’d. Maybe some suspense?

 **Disclaimer** : Don’t own. Saskitty and Narukitty here is Emelie’s tho hahaha Also, none of the humans in this fic are like this in real life.  _Maybe_.

* * *

 

Sasuke’s dark green eyes slanted to the side but even without looking, he knew that the two of them were being watched from the trespasser’s scent and how was he supposed to miss those large furry ears sticking out from the bushes? He would go over there and give them a piece of his mind but decided against it and rolled on his back, the grass warm from the sun. His long tail tapped in lazy staccatos, as he watched his companion run around the grass, flicking the shuttlecock with his nose before taking chase. His attention was fully occupied towards the Somali until the figure in the bushes shifted. Ears flicked back slightly, his instincts automatically being on the defence. They hadn’t moved since. Good. He relaxed again. They’re no threat.

“Dobe,” he called out to the fluffy cat, waiting for him to turn his head towards him before continuing. “Time to go home.” He hadn’t lifted himself to his feet yet because he was waiting for Naruto to argue about it.

And sure enough, Naruto’s face contorted into a pout. “But whyyy?” he whined. “It’s still early and you haven’t played with me long enough.” He slumped to the ground, pawing the feathered toy, nose scrunched up, disgruntled.

He shot a look back towards the bushes again. “Let’s call it a day.”

“Come on, Sasuke! Just a little bit more, please? I want to play still.” Biting the toy, he log rolled his way towards Sasuke, laughing when he bumped against him. “Pweash?” he asked, voice muffled and blue eyes twinkling playfully. His fluffy tail swished around excitedly as he wiggled alongside the blue cat suggestively.

With a sigh, Sasuke knew he wouldn’t hear the last of it if he disagreed. He would very much like it if they be back before night settles in. He shoved the idiot’s face away from him with his paw, earning him a surprised grunt. Better to give in now. “Fine,” he huffed and stood up ignoring the excited meows Naruto released.

“Sasuke’s the best!” Naruto rubbed his cheek against the Russian blue’s in affection, paying no mind to the irritated growl. Motioning the shuttlecock with his nose, he looked up at Sasuke expectantly.

The silver coated cat pushed the other feline’s head away with his own and picked the toy between his teeth. Running towards higher ground, he told Naruto to try and return his serve, a move they’ve practiced a couple of times since Sasuke eventually got bored of Naruto just catching and retrieving. “Ready, dobe?’

Nodding enthusiastically, Naruto got into position, tail dancing in excitement behind him. “Give me your best shot, teme!” he yelled, a large grin on his face.

Swinging the toy in his mouth, he threw it up before hitting it accurately with his paw into Naruto’s direction, making it slice through the air. He was silently yelling for Naruto to jump at the right moment, and when those powerful legs of his pushed back, springing him upwards, he hid the small grin. Naruto leapt, getting great air and impressing Sasuke with his jump, his paw raised, poised to swipe at the incoming object. Then, with a grace that only he can produce, he missed it entirely and the shuttlecock hit him right in the eye.

There was a gasp and the orange cat fell back but landed on his feet, he is a cat after all, one of his clear blue eyes closed shut. “Oww…” he moaned to himself, flinching as he tried to open it.

Shaking his head, Sasuke trotted over to Naruto. “You okay?” he asked, coming close to peer at the damage. It was the butt end of the shuttlecock that had hit him, so apart from some coloured lights dancing behind his eyelid, Naruto should be fine. When Naruto didn’t answer him, he pressed his soft nose gently on the closed eyelid.

“Teme!” Naruto shouted, leaping back. “That hurts!” He gave a hurt look at his playmate and sat down, his feathered tail curling around him.

“It can’t be that bad,” said Sasuke. It really couldn’t be and he hadn’t even pressed that hard, just a gentle prodding to see if the flesh was tender. So far it wasn’t swollen and from his assessment, it didn’t look like there weren’t any cuts either. But Naruto’s pout remained and Sasuke had a sneaky suspicion the Somali was faking it.

Naruto’s voice turned whiney. “But it hurts…” He stomped a paw down, like a bratty kitten demanding for attention. His playmate should me more considerate, damn it! Turning his face away, he sulked, cussing silently at how mean Sasuke is. He sneaked a glance and when Sasuke made no move to comfort him, he puffed out his cheeks.

Sasuke’s eyes turned to slits at this sort of behaviour coming from the Somali. It was just a little hit. He wasn’t even aiming for his face like the last time. If he was expecting an apology from him, he’s in for a big disappointment. He’s not going to apologise for something as petty as this, no matter how much he sulked. “I’m not apologising,” he bit out icily, but the way Naruto’s ears turned flat against his skull told Sasuke he wasn’t looking for one.

He can’t have him go home with his eye like that, Emi might think they fought again or something. Suppressing a sigh, he went over to him. “You’re such a big baby,” he muttered before leaning in and giving the closed eye a lick with his rough tongue. He heard a soft click. Pulling away, he saw Naruto’s face morph, looking very pleased, his eye opening like the accident never happened. He beamed at him, making Sasuke turn abruptly with a huff, his tail smacking the Somali’s cheek. “Let’s go, it’s getting late.”

Naruto glided up to him, making sure to brush against the whole length of Sasuke’s body and pushed Sasuke’s chin up with his nose as thanks, his tail grabbing hold of the Russian blue’s. He held back a snicker when Sasuke pulled away from him, appalled at the show of affection. His ears twitched curiously at the sound of fast flutters. “Hey, did you hear that?” he questioned the dark feline.

He never got an answer because Sasuke broke into a run, leaving Naruto dazed for a few seconds before he tried to catch up. He looked back, but his eyes didn’t settle at his running playmate but at the bushes where those large ears moved clearer into view. He was a bit taken aback from what he saw but he faced forward again, leaving their little playground. He wasn’t sure what was going on but it might be better if he and Naruto laid low for a while.

* * *

 “Sasukeee,” came the whine and Sasuke buried his face deeper into the pillow in his little nest. This has been going on for a while now. Naruto was dissatisfied with their current arrangement. After that afternoon, Sasuke didn’t take him there anymore which made the Somali unhappy. Ever since they started playing at their special spot, Naruto wasn’t content with the living room. He loved the wide open space and the sun on his fur their place provided. This didn’t bode well with Sasuke because Naruto would beg to take him outside. He dared not to venture on his own, wanting Sasuke to play with him as well.

“Leave me alone, usuratonkachi,” he growled, turning his body away from him. He didn’t want to deal with him right now. It’s his nap time. Alas, Naruto was never one to respect such boundaries and hopped into the basket. He was in no mood to fight him off, feeling drained after his morning hunt so he just shifted, making room for the Somali. He’ll allow it,  _just this once_.

Naruto settled in, tucking his paws beneath him as he cozied up to Sasuke. This was the first time he’d ever ventured into Sasuke’s basket, his previous attempts were often met with much hissing and sharp claws. No one knows when he’ll be allowed in here again, so deep in his territory, so he sniffed around curiously, Sasuke’s scent thick. It was pleasant and the cushion moulded around him nicely. It was no wonder Sasuke liked it here. He watched the rise and fall of his figure, a paw over his head while he napped. “Sasuke..?” he called out gently and was answered with a soft grunt.

“What?” Sasuke asked in a scratchy voice, moments later, sleep still holding him captive.

Gently, Naruto perched his chin on Sasuke’s shoulder. “Can we play outside after you’ve taken your nap?” he whispered, his tail brushing soothingly across Sasuke’s body. He must be exhausted. A few breaths later Sasuke mumbled an “okay” and continued his nap. Naruto stayed still for a while, listening to the soft beats of Sasuke’s pulse. He repositioned himself so that he curved around Sasuke, an arm thrown over him, his tail wrapped around his torso. Nuzzling his nape, Naruto closed his eyes to join Sasuke in dreamland. “Thanks, Sasuke…”

* * *

 “…off.” Naruto cracked an eye open, feeling warmth ripped from him. He rolled on his back to get more comfortable. “Get off, usuratonkachi!” Naruto found himself pushed away roughly and he toppled over the side of the basket, landing ungracefully on the floor, one leg caught on the side wall. Shaking his head and blinking slowly, he looked up to a livid looking Sasuke and righted himself.

“Sasuke! You’re up!” Naruto exclaimed, his tail stood straight behind him, showing his excitement. It was a close call but he barely dodged those sharp claws, managing to duck his head at the right moment. He straightened once more, grinning at his playmate. “Great! Let’s go now. I want to go now!” he said impatiently, his energy bouncing off the walls.

Angered, Sasuke shoved the feline to the floor, pushing his whole weight on him to pin him down. Just like the first day that they met, he bit on his ear just to get the edge off. “What were you doing on  _my_  bed, dobe?” He growled menacingly.

Oh, so they were back to  _that_  again. Stupid selfish bastard. Ignoring Sasuke’s question, Naruto turned his head, tears gathering from his eyes as the pain of his ear being pulled doubled. “Ne, ne, Sasuke, can we go play outside now? You said we could after your nap.”

The regal cat let go and gave out a huff of disbelief. “When did I ever say that?”

“When you were sleeping, of course,” Naruto said matter-of-factly. “I asked you and you agreed.” He tried to wriggle free from Sasuke’s hold but he just hunkered down on him, probably trying to squish him to death. Sasuke was winning too so he laid on his stomach, his limbs stretched out, admitting defeat.

Sasuke remained on top of the orange cat, sitting on his back, making himself comfortable. “Moron, I obviously wasn’t aware of your question  _because_  I was sleeping.” He clicked his tongue.

Craning his neck to face him, Naruto gave Sasuke a pout and the blue cat just  _knew_  he was going to whine. “But Sasukeee,” He wiggled his tail unhappily. “I want to play! Play with you…” He lowered his eyes sadly. “It’s no fun to play by yourself and if we play outside, we’ll have more room to run around. You also don’t have to get mad at me for breaking things.” He tried to reason with his playmate.

Getting off him, Sasuke sat in front of the fox-like feline, lying flat on his stomach, resting his chin on his paws, contemplating Naruto’s words. “Hn. You do make a good point. You’re terribly clumsy.” He smirked at him, amused at Naruto’s scowl.

Naruto head butted Sasuke out of annoyance. “Hey! You’re not supposed to agree with me, bastard!”

The Russian blue feline merely chuckled. “You mean, I’m supposed to bring you outside to play.” His brow quirked, questioning Naruto.

Blinking, Naruto realised that Sasuke was right but didn’t comment on it. He would let him think he’d won,  _this time_ , because there were other more pressing matters. “So, Sasuke’s going to take me outside?” he asked gleefully, the feathered tail wagging back and forth happily. He looked into Sasuke’s green eyes hopefully, waiting for that glimmer of change. He inched his face closer, eyes still boring into the other feline’s. Their noses almost touching, he released an inquisitive purr.

Sasuke took a step back, turning his head to the side to break the eye contact between them. “Fine,” he muttered, paying no mind to Naruto’s delighted squeal. “ _But_ ,” he pressed, “we won’t go to our usual place. I’ll take you somewhere else.”

Naruto sat back, tilting his head to the side cutely. Somewhere else? It wouldn’t matter much to him where they were going. As long as he was with Sasuke and that they could both play. Trusting Sasuke, he nodded. His playmate rose to his feet and gestured for the cat door with an elegant tilt of his head. The Somali followed him, wondering quietly to himself at where exactly Sasuke was planning on taking him.

* * *

 Sasuke shook his head at Naruto’s behaviour. The idiot was running around in circles, laughing to himself, getting some curious looks from some of the humans that have made themselves comfortable on the park benches. He watched as the Somali zipped around, curiously sniffing the strange contraptions that human children use to play. Settling himself under the shade of one of the larger trees in the park, he stretched his lithe body, green eyes following the rambunctious feline. He kept the smug smile to himself, proud of his ingenious plan. By taking Naruto to the park, he could keep himself entertained without having Sasuke to play with him. This also enabled him to keep a close eye on the other cat while he rested some more because he  _knows_  the moron will get himself in trouble somehow. Lounging comfortably, he rested his head on his overlapping arms.

Naruto was like a kitten, trying to experience everything new at once. He had tried running up the slide, only to glide back down with a scowl, ears pointing downwards. Sasuke bit back the amused tilt of his mouth. Ridiculous. How can someone be dense enough to not realise that the slide goes one way. Naruto was that dense. He was now scrambling up the slippery incline, moving his paws furiously to get some friction, face full of determination. The triumphant look the Somali gave when he had reached the top made Sasuke’s mouth twitch again but he rolled his eyes when the fox-like feline did a belly slide down and tried to clamour back up again. Sasuke scoffed. Those stairs exist on the other side for a reason, moron.

Naruto turned his attention to a human child on top of a springed buggy. Those blue eyes of his glinted in amusement as he observed the little boy shriek and giggle wildly while he bounced forwards and backwards, holding onto the wheel.  Deciding he’d join in the fun, he hopped into the buggy, surprising the small child as he sat on his lap. The human hadn’t minded and held the feline as they rocked. Naruto’s face was priceless. He hadn’t anticipated the rough ride, it looked like harmless fun at first. When he stepped out, it took him a moment to regain his footing and to walk straight once more. He was never going to ride that thing again, he decided, eyeing the contraption warily.

The dobe was probably tired. Well, he did just get a ride in that hellish buggy. Sasuke saw him head over to the large fountain in the middle of the park. He turned his body so that he leaned on his side to get an unobstructed view of him.

The Somali got on his tippy toes to peer over the fountain edge and stuck out his tongue to lap on the water trickling from the trumpet of the cherub statue. Blue eyes widened, as he saw the small fishes swimming around and he dipped a paw experimentally into the water. Excited now, those fluffy paws made fast grabs into the water, eliciting soft splashes and rippling the surface. He reached further and further as the fishes swam teasingly away from him.

Judging from the way his body was half hanging over the ledge, Sasuke would bet his favourite can of salmon that Naruto would fall in. So he wasn’t all surprised when there was a giant splosh and a sharp caterwaul, yet he made no movement to help him. He’s a big cat, he can handle himself. He did watch in amusement as Naruto tried to climb over fountain wall, his once fluffy fur drenched and clinging to his frame. His leg slipped and he fell in again, Sasuke now no longer hiding his grin. When he managed to haul himself over the wall, he shook himself dry, his orange fur puffing back up again. Sasuke turned to his other side, finally deciding to catch up on his nap again. Naruto will be fine.

Spotting a group of pigeons, Naruto rushed over towards the flock at top speed to scare them. He giggled when they fluttered away. He didn’t expect them to come back and continue pecking the pathway though. They weren’t scared of him at all and that alone made him bristle. He chased them down, jumping at them when they take flight but they would always come back, waddling along to feast on the breadcrumbs tossed their way. The Somali harrumphed, and headed over to the human that was feeding them. The old lady was nice, petting him with her wrinkled hand. He stayed seated next to her for a while as she fed those mindless birds.

When he got bored, he hopped off looking for newer things to try. However, he couldn’t really get far because he would be stopped by random people that want to hug and pet him. They called him a pretty cat, not exactly fond at the choice of words. They were nice though. Ever since he was adopted by Emi, he had almost zero human contact and he found that he liked the attention he was getting. Exposing his belly, he playfully pawed at one of the human’s hand while his legs kicked at another who fondled his tail. Some of the humans even gave him small nibbles of their meal when he approached them. A few of them posed with him as they took pictures, or selfies as the humans called it, with their talking devices. Eyeing a cartoon cat phone strap dangling in front of his face, the he bell jingled when he had hit it with his paw. Being in the spotlight was great and all but he came here with a purpose. Though he might have temporarily forgotten his initial mission, he really couldn’t go long without thinking of his playmate.

Sasuke mentally groaned when he heard the all too familiar footsteps approach his half-asleep form. Oh no he doesn’t, that little shit. This was not part of his brilliant plan! He curled in on himself, wanting to ignore the other feline. He wasn’t supposed to stride over him and ask him to play, no. The usuratonkachi should be so lost in amazement the park offered, he’d forget about having Sasuke join him, especially considering he’d never been exposed to such pleasures. He shouldn’t be giving him any more attention than he does, the park was crawling with humans to entertain him. He tucked his ears in, attempting to block out the dobe’s voice and fall back into slumber.

The orange Somali was not at all pleased to see Sasuke sleeping again, not when he said that they would play together. He sniffed his playmate in an attempt to wake him but Sasuke remained unmoving. Lying beside him, he started kneading Sasuke’s back with both paws and again there was no response. He draped his body over Sasuke’s, trying to be playful about it, yet the other cat’s eyes remained closed. Sasuke naps too much. Even still, he made time for him and Naruto still couldn’t get over Sasuke finding their special place. He’d come a long way from his usual bastardy self, even though he’d sometimes slip back into that persona.

The purr was low in his throat. If there was a thing Sasuke enjoyed more than napping, it was grooming. The soft short strokes were alternated with hard long ones, working through his short thick fur. It felt heavenly, his tail curling in and out in pleasure. Now, if only they’d hit…ooohhh yes, that’s the spot. His bones turned to liquid from the treatment he was getting. He didn’t even mind that it was Naruto who was grooming him. He purred again, louder this time when that wicked tongue brushed just below his ear. Possessing longer hair, Naruto’s tongue was built to be rougher than his to comb through his unmanageable fur so for him to run it over Sasuke’s coat was like a fucking brush massage. Certainly a pleasant way to be woken up. He stretched, peeking an eye open to see the orange cat at work. “You’re persistent,” he mumbled, trying to keep his voice steady.

Naruto pulled his head back, his tongue retreating back into his mouth and shot his playmate a blinding smile. “Enjoyed your nap?” he asked.

“I would have enjoyed it more if you stopped trying to wake me up,” Sasuke huffed, turning on his back.

“Well…” Naruto drawled. “Since you’re up, why don’t we play?” he asked, pawing Sasuke’s exposed belly.

Sasuke gave an undignified snort. He  _knew_  the moron would say that. Why else would he groom him other than to rouse him from sleep to play? Only he was capable of such trickery. He slapped those paws away from him, stretching some more, back arching lightly. Licking his front paws, Sasuke washed his face, removing all traces of sleep while Naruto silently waited for his reply. Getting up on all fours, his tail brushed the underside of Naruto’s jaw as he walked away, beckoning him to come with.

Naruto was led to the area where almost all of the human children have gathered. They passed the slippery incline that Naruto had climbed, that thing was super fun, and he shot a glare at the springed contraption from hell. They reached a wall of rope, the cords woven into a lattice design. He shot a curious look at Sasuke, who grinned mischievously. That usually wasn’t a good sign.

“Show me what you’re made of,  _housecat_ ,” The blue cat taunted before leaping onto the wall, sharp claws out to cling onto one of the rope sections. With finesse, Sasuke started to climb, higher and higher, the turbulent wobbling not at all deterring his ascent. When he reached the end of the rope, he leapt onto the wooden beam above, smug at his achievement. He looked down at his companion who was looking at him with admiration in those clear blue eyes and maybe just a little hint of fear. “Scared, bibiri-kun?”

The fox-like feline bristled when his earlier insult sunk in and stomped his paw down, huffing indignantly. “What the hell, teme? I’m no housecat!”

Sasuke chuckled. “Oh, but I hear no refutes about being scared?” He examined his tail, deeming that the tip needed a good detangle and busied himself.

Seething, Naruto grabbed hold of a cord above him. “Why, you! I’ll come up there and wipe that smirk off your face, bastard!” Without waiting for a retort, he started to climb the wall, legs shaky but he wasn’t going to let Sasuke think he was chicken. Sasuke continued his attention towards his silvery tail, not even looking up from it at the times when Naruto had slipped, his claws sinking deep into the rope as he dangled dangerously before he could regain his balance and resume his climb. He was huffing by the time he had reached the top, slightly frazzled and irritated that his playmate held no concern for his safety. Pulling himself onto the beam, he clutched at the edges, slightly worried the wind might knock him over. He knows he’ll somehow manage to land on his feet if he falls, he knows that, but that doesn’t mean he’ll risk plunging to his death any time soon.

“Glad you could make it, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke’s smooth voice as he praised him was laced with sarcasm. He didn’t give the Somali a chance to make a comeback as he sauntered across the beam towards the end. “Come.”

The feline grumbled, not liking it whenever Sasuke gets bossy but begrudgingly followed him, trying to keep his balance least he’d fall. Reaching the end of the beam, Naruto was met with a line of metallic bars. What the fuck? How the hell are they supposed to get across that? Sasuke wasn’t thinking of-?

“You can stay on the wooden beams at the side,” Sasuke said coolly, gesturing them with his tail, cutting off Naruto’s internal panic. “But walking on the bars is my favourite part.” He threw the Somali a smirk before leaping forward, perching on the metal bar as if he were a canary. His breed was known for their dexterity and grace and he intended to show it off. He continued forwards, not at all bothered by the gap, the slippery cylindrical bars or the fall. Sasuke loved staring danger in the face, the rush of adrenaline in his veins. He stopped to look back at Naruto who had yet to move. He waited patiently, putting no pressure to the other feline.

Hesitantly, Naruto reached out his paw and pulled it back. It was shaking. Heck, his whole body was shaking. He made a move towards the side beams but stopped, eyeing the row of bars, trailing his eyes across the path until he met Sasuke’s green eyes. He wanted to give it a try. Sasuke went to all this trouble to show him a good time so the least he could do is enjoy it the way his playmate does. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he leapt forwards, landing albeit awkwardly on the bar, quivering.

“Dobe, you don’t hav-”

“Shut up!” Naruto yelled, breathing heavily through his nostrils as he righted himself. “I-I can do this. Watch me.” He can. He can do this. Understanding settled in Sasuke who gave him a nod. Trying not to think about the long drop, he jumped again, reminding himself that he’ll still have 8 lives if he were to fall and trying to forget that he still has to jump almost two dozen bars to get across.  His landing was much better this time, a smile bloomed on his face at the achievement. He crossed a few more, feeling the rush and understanding why Sasuke preferred this route instead. “Look, teme!” he called out to Sasuke as he bounded closer to him.

Sasuke couldn’t help the upward twitch of his lips and the feeling of warmth in his chest. In a way, he was slightly proud of the fluffy feline for trying his best. That determined look in his eyes, the bouncing of his golden fur as he jumped. That all disappeared when his front paw didn’t quite manage to touch the iron bar and he started to fall, dread filling them both. Naruto!

“Sasuke!” Naruto breathed out in relief when the silver coated cat managed to grab him in time by latching on to the scruff of his neck. The cat above him grunted, probably telling him to hurry the fuck up because he’d stretched himself forward, one bar pushing uncomfortably against his stomach, to catch him. Grabbing hold of the bar above him with both paws, and with Sasuke’s help, Naruto hauled himself over, steadying himself on the bar.

Green eyes closed momentarily, suddenly angry at Naruto’s stupidity and he tried to calm the thundering in his chest. He wanted to lash out, telling him what a moron he was for trying something he wasn’t confident in doing. How the fuck would he explain to Emi if he had brought a pancake of a cat home? He let out a long shaky breath, feeling the anger within him dissipate and opened his eyes. Naruto was looking at him so guiltily that he took pity on him. Besides, it wasn’t the time or place to scold him. “Come on,” he said gently and hopped to the next bar. “And be careful this time,” he added.

When they reached the last two bars, Naruto was grateful that it was almost over. There hadn’t been any more slip ups since then and Sasuke was constantly looking back to check if he was okay, which he appreciated. Following Sasuke’s lead, they jumped on to the landing, glad that the nightmare was over. Or was it? Come to think of it, they were still pretty high up. How were they supposed to get back down again? Naruto paled at the thought of going back the way they came but Sasuke nudged him out of his thoughts and brought his attention to the large tunnel-like structure in front of them.

“Domestic long hairs first,” Sasuke tilted his head towards the chute, bowing slightly, cocky smirk in place.

Curiously, Naruto took a gander as to where it might lead to but all he could see was pitch black darkness. What was Sasuke playing at? This couldn’t be the way down, right? He looked at his playmate, cheeks puffed out in silent protest.

Sasuke made a face. “You’d rather go back the other way?” he motioned to the bars again and Naruto shuddered. He kept the chuckle to himself at how worried his feline companion was. “Trust me. This is the best part of the ride,” he tired persuading the Somali, sliding up close to him which only made the feline narrow his blue eyes at him, sceptical. “Besides,” he continued, “you don’t have much of a choice.” Without further ado, he pushed Naruto roughly down the chute, fighting himself from cackling maniacally at the high pitched yowl he’d let out before going down himself.

“Sasuke, you bastaaaaaard!” was Naruto’s initial yell as he tumbled down, hitting the walls of the curved tube when Sasuke had pushed him from an angle. It slowly morphed into laughter though when he was sliding down on his back in a spiral. It dawned on him it that this contraption was very much like the inclined slide he had tried to climb, but shaped like a helix. Sasuke’s voice soon joined him and what a delightful sound it was. He tilted his head back to see the silvery blue cat coming down on his belly, eyes closed and lips stretched back as if he had smiled. Holy shit, was Sasuke  _smiling_? He blinked and on the last turn, his body spun around and before he could get his bearings straight he was flung out from the slide and landed with an “oomph”.

Moments later, Sasuke came flying out and crashed landed on the orange cat. He chuckled, looking at the annoyed face below him. He allowed himself this moment of childishness he hadn’t let out since he was a mere kitten. Such recklessness, all elegance abandoned as he laid on top of the other feline, his heart fluttering from the thrill of going down the slide. He shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all. He hadn’t done something like that for a while now. It felt so liberating…so free. His tail curled in and out again, the content feeling spreading within him, front paws pushing lightly onto Naruto’s chest as he purred, his claws springing in and out at the action.

Naruto was mesmerised by this Sasuke in front of him, well, on top of him. His tail wiggled from the excited aura he gave off. He laughed, bringing Sasuke’s attention to him. He blinked slowly and the regal cat returned the gesture, blinking once, twice, mimicking him. The Somali leant forward, carefully, as if not to startle the other cat and when Sasuke merely tilted his head to the side. He let their noses touch for one brief moment. His fluffy ears twitched elatedly at the friendly contact and he brought his face to the side to lick Sasuke’s cheek when suddenly both paws were pushing his head back, his playmate attacking his throat. What…? To say that he was in shell shock was an understatement.

Sasuke was taking in large whiffs of Naruto’s fur, running his nose along the base of his neck to the back of his ear. That scent! Raking through the thick fur, he gave more inquisitive sniffs, pressing his body flat against the Somali. Below him, Naruto was trying awkwardly to get up, calling to him questioningly but Sasuke silenced him with another push, continuing his task. Why can’t this dobe stay still for one damn minute? He pushed Naruto’s head to the side and buried his nose in the soft fur, inhaling, scrutinising each strand. There! He hadn’t caught a whiff of it until they were in close proximity, he could have when he rescued the idiot but at the time, he was more focused in saving his falling ass than be attentive for scents.

When Sasuke pulled back, his eyes were narrowed at him, lips curled back into a nasty snarl. Naruto could feel the anger rolling off of his body, could feel the vibrations from the rumble at the back of his throat. What had he done now to displease him all of the sudden? He flattened his ears, looking at him confusedly. “Sasuke, what’s wro-?”

“They  _touched_  you!” he cut the Somali off with a hiss. He jumped off the other cat, taking on a defensive stance, hair raised and ears pulled back. In his anger, he hacked and spitted, making the small humans run to their mothers.

Naruto got to his feet. “Touched me?” he asked bewilderedly as he glided up to the bristling cat and then his mind went back to all the humans that had petted and rubbed him. Was he furious that so many humans had played with him? “Did you mean the humans? Yeah, they played with me for a while but-”

“I can smell them on you!” Yes, there were many different scents on the Somali, he could detect them all on his fur but Naruto didn’t understand he was so furious. There was one scent, one  _particular_  scent amongst the others that shouldn’t be there. That shouldn’t have gone to touch him.

“Sasuke!” Naruto raised his voice, trying to get his attention. “Sasuke, calm down! They were friendly,” he tried to force reason through that cloud of anger, pushing the feline back.

 _Friendly_? Hah! If they were so fucking friendly, they wouldn’t touch the idiot. Sasuke wretched himself away from Naruto, ignoring his voice as he stalked forward, nostrils flared, eyes darting wildly around the park, searching. Where were they? Watching them was one thing but to come in contact with one of them? That was one line he’ll make sure they’ll never cross again. His gaze flitted to every human, every animal, and every moving creature at the park. He’ll find them. He’ll find them before they can even try to get close again.

Resorting to drastic measures, Naruto tackled Sasuke to the ground, hitting his paws across Sasuke’s face repeatedly. “Hey! Hey, bastard!” he yelled. “Stop this right now!” he ordered but the Russian blue was fighting back, snarling and clawing him. He managed to clip his jaw. Blue eyes stared at him with incredulity. Why this son of a… Naruto clamped down on one blue ear, yanking hard. A paw on his throat, he pushed the frenzied feline down, eyes now a hard steely blue. He’ll bring Sasuke back to his senses alright, even if he has to beat him up to do it. Puffing himself up, he made himself look bigger, his yowl carrying a dominating tone, telling him to stand down.

Sasuke tried to fight back, spitting at the cat above him but at another low growl from Naruto, the normally domineering cat became more tranquil. With the haze clearing up, leaving a clear green, he let his eyes focus on Naruto’s face. It’s Naruto. Naruto wasn’t the enemy. He’s just a stupid cat he was forced to be playmates with, who gets excited about food and always pesters him to play. He simply breathed, Naruto’s natural scent flooding him, calming him. He closed his eyes, fur no longer bristled, claws receding, Sasuke quietly submitted to Naruto.

Seeing Sasuke’s body go slack, Naruto removed his paw and teeth but made no move to get off his playmate. Licking the bleeding ear, he lapped away the crimson tainting his blue fur. Rubbing his cheek against his, he asked the other what the matter was but received no answer. He remained there, cheek to cheek, purring softly at Sasuke, silently apologising for being rough with him, their breathing synchronised. He asked once more what the problem was.

With his hind legs, Sasuke threw the Somali off him, body tensing back up as he scrambled to his feet. He heard it. The click of the button, the sound of shutters, the snapping loud in his ears.  _They were watching_. He glanced over to Naruto who at first was annoyed of being forcefully dismounted but worry settled in as he looked at Sasuke’s stance.

“Sasuke?” The voice was hesitant.

Letting his sharp eyes analyse the park once more, he still couldn’t tell where they were, hiding probably, because nothing looked out of the ordinary. Concern glittered in those blue hues when Naruto approached him. He turned his body away, not wanting to face the Somali. Nor did he answer him when Naruto asked for the third time if there was something wrong. He didn’t have to know. It would make things much easier if he remained the clueless idiot he is. “Home,” he interrupted Naruto when he opened his mouth to ask. “Let’s go home.” With that, both cats ventured back in silence.

* * *

 They hadn’t discussed what had happened yesterday. Naruto had, surprisingly, respected his wishes to stay home today, without as much as a peep. He did however agree to Naruto’s request to accompany him as he played in the garden. Accompany might not be the right choice of words though, it was more along the lines of “play with me you selfish bastard” but eh, to-may-to, to-mah-to. It was a lazy afternoon and he was sprawling on the wooden boards of the patio, one eye open to show that he wasn’t completely asleep. He itched to go hunting again but as much as he would like to kill a few birds, they were still out there. His opened eye landed on the Somali bouncing the fishcake looking toy, on his nose. “Hey,” he called out.

Naruto missed, the toy falling to the grass below and he turned his attention to the cat on the patio, a paw beckoning him to approach the platform. With the toy in his mouth, he ran over to where Sasuke is. A small candle burned within him that Sasuke would change his mind and go to their special playground but as his mind drifted to Sasuke’s behaviour yesterday, the hope diminished. He only got a glimmer of that Sasuke once before when he thought Nora was a real cat snatcher. He didn’t really understand what was going through Sasuke’s head. He’d been moody ever since, Naruto didn’t even bother asking him twice to play with him. “Wassup?” he asked while the toy was in his mouth.

Sasuke’s face contorted into a frown. “At least put the toy down when you’re talking so I can understand you, dobe,” he reprimanded, tail whipping left and right.

See? Moody Sasuke scolds him for the smallest of things and moody Sasuke means zero chance of playtime. Naruto sighed to himself, wishing he could do something to change his mind. He placed the toy down at his feet. “My bad,” he apologised. “What’s up?” he repeated and when Sasuke didn’t answer straight away, he sat down to lick a patch of fur on his belly.

Propping himself up, Sasuke observed the cat in front of him, grooming himself, biting onto a knotted mass of fur to untangle it. He saw the frustration in his eyes, the slouch in his walk. Will this moron ever get tired of it? Sasuke decided that he didn’t. “Dobe,” he called his attention again and Naruto snapped his head to him. While the two were having a staring match, Sasuke’s paw sneakily slid towards the toy and slapped it away, flinging it onto the grass where it bounced into a flower patch. Sasuke gave him a Cheshire grin. “Fetch,” he said coolly and jumped off the patio, bounding towards the toy.

Naruto didn’t miss a beat and followed suit. He loved this game! But then again he just loved playing games with Sasuke in general. They rarely played this though because often, they’d get into a fight where Emi had to break them up. But Emi wasn’t here now though… He chased after Sasuke, hot on his tail, both clamouring to get to the toy first. Sasuke grabbed it. No! He was so close! Instead of giving up, he toppled the smug cat over, the flower shaped toy released from his grip. Naruto jumped, only to have Sasuke grab hold of him and pull him down. Naruto caterwauled but it was full of mirth and they fell together in a heap. Making a grab with his paw, he touched it, kicking Sasuke with his powerful legs. Extending his claws out, he raked the toy and held it to his chest. “I won!”

“No you haven’t!” Declared Sasuke and he wrestled with the Somali, Naruto trying to keep the toy away from his snapping jaws.

Naruto’s face crinkled up happily. “Sore loser,” he said as he stuck his tongue out. He tried to push Sasuke off but the Russian blue held on to him, still trying to capture the toy with his mouth. “Teme!” They pushed and shoved each other, tumbling, crushing sprouting flowers, Naruto trying to protect his beloved toy while Sasuke tried to seize it. Socking Sasuke gave him leverage and he took the toy into his mouth and ran as fast as he could.

What a dirty trick! Just like the cunning fox he is. With a growl, Sasuke gave chase. “Usuratonkachi!” he growled just as he made a lunge for the toy, jaws locked shut when he managed to bite it.

The fox-like feline yowled lowly, teeth still latching onto one side of the toy while Sasuke had grabbed on the other. He pulled, trying to make Sasuke lose his grip but got pushed down by the silvery blue cat. He kicked and hissed, trying to dislodge him but Sasuke held on tight. They rolled and both got to their feet, bracing themselves as the pulled on opposite directions.

Amidst the tug of war, Sasuke’s ear quivered, nose twitching. This sound. This  _smell_. Shocked that they had managed to find them at their own home, Sasuke turned his head sharply, ripping the toy from Naruto’s mouth. The toy flew, rolling on its side to god knows where. Sasuke pushed Naruto down, covering him with his body, a snarl tearing from his throat as his ears folded back in fury  _They’re here_!

“Sasuke, what the hell?!” He always does this! One minute, they’re having fun and the next, he snaps and goes all rage mode. He slid himself out from below him. “Sasuke!” What was wrong with him?

“Inside, now,” Sasuke commanded. “ _Now_ ,” he spat when the other tried to retort. Why can’t the moron just do as he asks? Why does he have to fucking argue with him every time? He saw the Somali duck and cower a little at the dominancy of his voice.

Naruto lowered his head. “O-okay,” he responded in a soft voice, body low to the ground. “Just let me get my toy, yeah?” he said and leapt in the general direction the toy had gone to. No way was he heading back inside without his favourite and only toy. Sasuke’s orders be damned.

“Usuratonkachi!” Sasuke ran after him, furious. Unbelievable! Un-fucking-believable! That stupid, stupid, stupid, moron! Doesn’t he realise what lies ahead?

Naruto sniffed out his toy but he also got wind of another scent. It was from yesterday at the park. He knows who this is. He stopped in front of the tree where he knew his toy and that person was behind of. The orange cat could hear Sasuke panting behind him, telling him to turn back now. Naruto meowed. Slowly, his toy came rolling towards him, spinning like a top before toppling over at his feet. A figure stepped out from behind the tree, a jingle with their step.

“It’s you!”

Sasuke skidded to a halt next to Naruto, eyes wide. It’s them. He growled, moving in front of Naruto and showing off his canines, on the offensive. They’re here, at their home. They’d followed them to their sanctuary. There will be no forgiveness. He will fight them if he has to. He hissed when their lips broke into a friendly smile. It’s here. The cat eared human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I could have sworn I posted this in end of April! Sorry I haven't been on AO3 lately but I'm here now ^^" It's a good thing I checked back but sucks to know that this chapter was late... Chapter 5 is still being written though but I have something else to keep you all entertained *winks* I'm sorry for the long, long wait for this chapter though. I hope this posts without complications.
> 
> This chapter is a special chapter for tumblr user Maneki n-e-k-o on her birthday so this is dedicated to her! She's an amazing SasNar artist so go check out her art! Follow her as well if you have an account so you can see all her work :D As well as the ones she made for this fic! It's truly adorable! ^^
> 
> As always I want to thank all of you who have supported this fic. I'm just flabbergasted at the wonderful responses I've gotten and I will work my hardest to churn out more SasNar kitty cuteness alongside other SasNar projects. 
> 
> Pssst... You didn't hear this from me but I've got one coming up very soon!


	5. No One Has To Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Stefi, my awesome friend who's been so supporting and encouraging for the last year since we've known each other. I love you to bits, thank you. Surprise on you happy un-birthday! ;) Major thanks to Emi for making sure this chapter is what it is and for pushing me to write hehe
> 
> This has been a very long wait for some of you, huh? I apologise but after one whole year of waiting, here's a special 21 pager of your two favourite cats!

 

**Warnings** : T for fluff. Either you get diabetes or symptoms of heartclenching. Sasuke’s dirty mouth and slight mention of blood. Light proofreading and unbeta’d.

**Disclaimer** : Don’t own. Saskitty and Narukitty here is Emelie’s tho hahaha Also, none of the humans in this fic are like this in real life.  _Maybe_

* * *

Sasuke was not a happy camper. The sharp flicks of his tail were a test to his rather sour mood but then again who could blame him? After all, the enemy was sitting right across from them, casually sipping afternoon tea with their pinkie out from the household’s best teacups – one that was only brought out when they had guests over. But this human was no guest, not according to Sasuke. No, they’re definitely the enemy. Sasuke let out an annoyed huff, finding this whole set up ridiculous but he kept his eyes trained on the suspicious human in their house. They definitely cannot be trusted. Not when they tracked both Sasuke and Naruto down to their sanctuary. Not when they’ve been secretly spying on them for a while now. Not when Emi could be in any potential danger and certainly not when this absolute _stalker_ was in their living room.

Letting his claws pop out, Sasuke dug them into the soft cushion underneath his paws to take some of the edge off, pretending it was instead the delicate flesh of the enemy. Oh how he’d love to sink his sharp claws into them and decorate the skin with deep gashes like an artist would take a paintbrush to a blank canvas. He still could not believe this human was here right now. In their house, their safe place and a low growl rumbled at the back of his throat at how it had come to this. He would have taken them down if it were up to him. He didn’t care that they were human and towered over him. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?

But to his dismay it didn’t end up quite the way he had imagined it to go down. At the time, he was in full protective mode, jumping in front of that moron Naruto, hair raised and standing on the very tips of his toes, wanting to appear bigger, wanting to fend off this human that had entered their home and Sasuke was not okay with that. It was one thing to follow them around outside but to step foot in their territory? Not on Sasuke’s watch.

* * *

Behind him, Naruto the idiot couldn’t understand why he was so pissed at that moment and kept trying to go around his protective stance, questioning him on his behaviour. He didn’t understand that Sasuke was covering him up from the human’s peripheral view, that Sasuke would be the guard between him and potential danger. It probably was futile since his body type was much sleeker than Naruto’s, even with his fur raised and offensive stance since Naruto was pretty much a large ball of orange fluff but that never crossed his mind at that moment. All that he knew was that he needed to keep Naruto out of harm’s way and for his human to back the fuck up. “Stand down!” he seethed out the order when Naruto had tried to for the umpteenth time to go around him and ask what the matter was.

Naruto stopped prying and sat back on his hind legs but Sasuke knew that although the Somali was oblivious, he was still concerned. Sasuke yowled in warning when the human took a careful step forward and he did the same. If a standoff was what the human wanted then so be it. He was not going to let them come near Naruto and he was thankful that for once, Naruto was listening to him and didn’t make a move. He gave himself some time to momentarily relax and breathed out a relieved sigh at how obedient Naruto was being, but that didn’t last long. His green eyes sharpened when the human moved to take a step and he brandished his claws in warning, making them hesitate. Good. They better be scared. He took a confident step forward, his lips pulled back into a snarl.

Then the human changed tactics, crouching low and backing up slowly. The human stuck out a hand, an offering for the cats to sniff and realise that they were not a threat but Sasuke wasn’t stupid. They all pull the same old stunt and he wasn’t having any of that. He hissed, making the human nervous and worried. That’s right, they better leave and never come back and that was Sasuke’s initial thought, that the human would give up and be on their merry way, but instead they started calling out to Naruto who Sasuke could feel had perked up in interest. How dare they try to lure Naruto when he’s right there? His anger flaring, he jumped at the human, claws out and they let out a startled shriek. Sasuke gave a triumphant smirk and rounded back so he could be close to Naruto again, least the human tried anything.

“I want you to get inside the house now, Naruto. Do you understand?” Sasuke tore his eyes off the cowering human for a second to look over his shoulder at the orange feline seriously. “Don’t dawdle, don’t look back. Just go straight through the pet door and don’t come out. I mean it!” he insisted and faced the human once more, ready to pounce again if they tried any funny business.

He could hear the grass and leaves crinkle as Naruto sat up and inched closer to him. “But Sasuke…” Naruto began cautiously but Sasuke wasn’t in the mood to argue right now, he’s too busy fending off crazy human stalkers from invading their home.

“Naruto, just do as I say!” Sasuke snapped venomously, too pissed to even consider the Somali’s feelings at the moment and he could tell that Naruto was distraught with the way Sasuke was ordering him around. He let out a slow calming breath and making sure that the human won’t make any sudden movements, he turned his head back to Naruto. “Let me handle this, okay?” he said, voice softer this time.

“What’s going on, Sasuke?” Naruto sounded concerned and reached out for him.

“Stay back!” Sasuke bit out and Naruto visibly flinched, his expression looking a little defeated. Sasuke doesn't have time for any of this nonsense but he tried to seem less menacing and hold his temper back because knowing Naruto, the more he pushed, the more the Somali would pull away. “Don’t come any closer, it’s not safe!” Naruto only frowned at his warning and Sasuke wanted to groan in frustration. This dunce!

The human chose the perfect time to intervene, as if sensing that Naruto’s trust in Sasuke was wavering and called out to him once more. “Here, kitty kitty. Nice kitty,” they cooed, snapping their fingers and clicking their tongue to get Naruto’s attention. Sasuke could only scowl at this underhanded attempt.

“Naruto don’t you dare!” Sasuke warned, his green eyes shifting between them, making sure that both the human and Naruto stay put. It was so typical of Naruto to disobey him like that and become more difficult. Naruto had scoffed and tried to go around Sasuke again but Sasuke quickly blocked him off. “Are you listening to me? What did I just say?!”

Naruto’s fox like tail curled in around himself in annoyance. “Why should I listen to a meanie like you?” he asked indignantly, scrunching up his face and huffed, his own fur starting to fluff up.

Oh, great! Perfect timing for his playmate to be sulking! “Naruto… Naruto!” his voice went a pitch higher when Naruto moved again, trying to get past Sasuke. Shoving Naruto back angrily with his head, Sasuke couldn’t contain himself anymore. “I’m trying to keep them away from you, you stupid cat! Why can’t you see that? I’m trying to protect you!” he lashed out, stunning both Naruto and the human with his outburst.

For a while it was pretty quiet, just Sasuke’s soft pants in trying to gather up the scattered bits of his broken calm composure. Once he got some semblance of it, he took caution with the type of tone he used to Naruto. Looking deeply into Naruto’s clear blue eyes and spoke softly, “Trust me and get your ass home so they can’t take you away.” Sasuke could see Naruto’s eyes blown wide and his ears unfold at that statement, the tip of his plumed tail pointing up, curious to hear more on what he had to say.

Sasuke broke the eye contact and bowed his head a little to look at the earth beneath his feet, pawing the dirt almost nervously but still mindfully keeping watch of the human at the corner of his eye. “It’s dangerous for you to be out right now,” he tried to explain and he thought that maybe he should have just done this in the first place. It was certainly proving to be much smoother than keeping Naruto out of the loop. “This bad human is trying to steal you away, Naruto. Can’t you see that? They want to take you away from Emi, from…us,” Sasuke’s voice shook at the correction and he took another breath.

“Get inside and stay safe. I’ll handle it from here and I’ll be back once I do some pest control so haul your ass inside and wait for me.”

It made sense that Naruto would be targeted more compared to Sasuke, which was why Sasuke was more concerned with his companion’s safety in regards to his own. Although Sasuke, being a purebred Russian Blue would be an absolute prize to collectors and feline aficionados, this simple minded human couldn’t possibly tell if he was the real deal – even though he is – and he would only be valuable if they could prove his pedigree. Though Sasuke couldn’t think of why any human would want to pass him up if he was being honest. Sasuke represented his beautiful and elegant breed to the T and could certainly hold up his own in the cat world.

Naruto on the other hand was an entirely different case. Naruto is beautiful, _very_ beautiful in fact, but an entirely sharp contrast to Sasuke’s own regal like charm. Naruto was more… _exotic_. Even Sasuke could not deny that the striking features of his playmate would be popular amongst the humans. For one thing, the Somali are a long haired cat breed, an appealing trait for most consumers and not to mention their rather unique fox like coat pattern would certainly fetch Naruto a high price in the market despite the rather shaky grounds of him being a thoroughbred.

Sasuke couldn’t let that happen. Couldn’t let some human wrap their filthy hands around Naruto and steal him away. Not again. Sasuke swore that it wouldn’t let it happen again which was why he needed to convince Naruto to go home so he could be far, far away from this dangerous human. The mere thought of having Naruto captured under his watch made his stomach tighten, his tail bristling up once more as he let out a loud yowl in forewarning. His claws popped in and out and he was positive he resembled like some of their more feral feline cousins now than a sophisticated housecat.

Despite Sasuke’s speech, Naruto hadn’t moved an inch from his position, only eyeing him with a look that came close to admiration, his feathery tail moving side to side the only indication that the cat was still listening to him. “What are you still doing here, you dumbass?” Sasuke taunted, remembering to keep his voice neutral, just like he would always do to give a little rile out of him. “I thought I told you pick your toy up and go home?” The smirk Sasuke sent the Somali made the long haired cat pull back somehow and snap him back to attention.

“Okay,” was Naruto’s whispered promise. He picked up his toy and after giving Sasuke a soft brush between their bodies – probably for luck – he turned his tail and ran off in the direction of home.

Sasuke only let out the breath he was holding when he was sure that Naruto was out of harm’s way and turned fully to his prey with a predatory glint in his eyes. It’s just them and Sasuke now. No more deceitful tricks of trying to coax Naruto onto their side. Sasuke was not going to let them take another step forward. This ends right here, right now. Bending his powerful legs, Sasuke readied himself for an attack, his jaw opening up to hack and spit at the human when they told him to calm down. But then all of the sudden…

“Sasukeeeeeee!”

He turned his head back so fast, Sasuke was sure he now had the ability that mimicked an owl’s. _What the actual fuck_? This was a joke, right? Naruto was bounding towards him with great speed, eyes bright and with that stupid look on his face. Stupid fucking cat. “I told you to go home, you dumb cat! Why can’t you ever listen to me? How am I supposed to protect you if you’re here?!” he exploded when Naruto skidded to a halt next to him. Sasuke pawed his face when the idiot merely grinned at him, trying to catch his breath. “Y-you, dobe!”

Naruto laughed and it only irritated Sasuke more. “You didn’t think I was going to let you handle this by yourself and be some kind of hero, do you?” he asked smugly and stuck his tongue out playfully. “Nyeh! I’m going to help you defeat the human. Didn’t you know two cats are better than one, Sasuke?”

Sasuke _so_ did not need to hear that from this moron so instead he gave a sharp hiss. “Shut up! You’re just going to get in my way with all your hair,” he retorted hotly.

Naruto snorted and nuzzled the crook of Sasuke’s neck before continuing, “Forget it, I’m your playmate and I’m not going to let you face this alone, believe it!” The Somali declared resolutely and that sent a little jolt to Sasuke’s chest but it could have just been the adrenaline coursing through his veins, not like there was a glimmer of pride or anything.

In a way Sasuke had predicted that this would happen and surprisingly, a bubble of laughter managed to escape him. Naruto looked at his strangely but Sasuke just shook his head. The world’s most unpredictable cat was chosen to be his playmate and in truth, he didn’t mind that Emi had matched them up at all. Even with the appearance of the perfectly pampered housecat, Naruto was anything but and certainly broke that stereotypical mould that even Sasuke had towards him. “Why did you run to the house then?” he asked, a little curious.

Rolling his eyes as if the answer was obvious, Naruto replied, “To keep my toy safe of course! Duh! Can’t have the nasty human try and steal it too.” At this point Sasuke wasn’t even sure if Naruto was serious or making a joke but either way he cursed that toy to all seven hells. It’s all about that toy. That stupid toy will always have higher priority, wouldn’t it? “So are we going to team up or are you still trying to convince me to hide in your basket?”

Flicking his tail, Sasuke grumbled, “Hn. You’re not allowed anywhere near my basket.”

Suddenly, his silvery blue ears pulled back and he gave a hiss when the human made a move to the object dangling from their neck, breaking his little banter with Naruto. His playmate on the other hand had his fluffy ears flattened to the side with his tail down and the tip of his plume curved – a sign of defensive aggression. Sasuke could still sense some hesitation from Naruto in attacking this human but Sasuke couldn’t really blame him since Naruto was raised more as a housecat. However, Naruto did give a low caterwaul and bared his teeth – Sasuke never thought that even throughout his entire nine lives, he would live to see the day when Naruto would direct any hostility towards a human – when the human tried to call out to him again.

“Good boy,” Sasuke praised under his breath and did a side glance towards the other feline.

Recognising the threat aimed towards them, the human dropped the object and placed both of their hands in front of them in a sign of surrender and maybe defence in case the both of them were inclined to tear their face – Sasuke definitely thought of that. “Nice kitty. I’m not going to hurt you, see? We’re friends aren’t we?” they asked Naruto. “Why don’t you come here and let me pet you, pretty kitty?” they cooed.

Sasuke’s tail thumped angrily, both for the stranger’s claim at being familiar with Naruto and their weak attempt to get Naruto to trust them. “Don’t you dare fall for that, Naruto,” he growled.

“I know that! I’m not that stupid, teme!” Naruto cursed and snapped his jaws threateningly at the

“Look Naruto, this is what we’ll do. First I’ll –” His instructions were cut short however when the Somali, using his strong legs to jump high into the air, pounced on the human like a Jaguar and just like their distant cousin, aimed for the jugular.

Well… that was what Sasuke had imagined it to go down. A mauling would have been preferable but what the human received from the Somali was more towards tackling for a hug. Instead of clawing their eyes out, Naruto just latched himself around the human’s neck, legs awkwardly dangling, trying to find a good grip and hissing at their face. At least that scared them and by shoving his entire weight into the barrage, the tall human had fallen backwards.

Sasuke sighed as his plans were once again thwarted by Naruto’s unpredictability but he could make this work. Seeing as how the human’s hand moved to get Naruto off them, Sasuke dashed forward and clamped his jaws on their arm. They will not touch him!

Yelping out in pain, the human struggled and writhed under the two cat’s assault. With the hand Sasuke was not trying to rip off, they tried to peel Naruto off them, only serving to have the orange Somali cling tighter scratching the tips of his claws on their exposed neck. Naruto had kicked away the offending hand but was having trouble with what to do next. “Sasuke, what do I do? What do I do?” Naruto asked frantically, pawing the human’s face when they lifted their head. “I’m getting nervous and nauseous! I have a weird feeling in my tummy!”

Sasuke loosened his grasp on the human’s arm to talk. “Don’t play with them, you moron. Hurt them like you mean it,” he instructed, voice a little stifled. They yelled and pleaded, legs kicking wildly which only made Sasuke bite down harder and claw every part he could reach. Sasuke jumped on them, stomping his legs on their stomach. They needed to incapacitate the human quickly but Sasuke was getting frustrated at all the wriggling. “Naruto, do something to stop them!”

Twisting around, Naruto locked his jaws on the other arm and began kicking their face. Sasuke nodded in approval but winced when their prey started screeching. Sasuke motioned for Naruto to do something about that with his eyes and the Somali planted his behind on the intruder’s face, muffling out their voice and what Sasuke hoped would eventually suffocate them. “Sashkeh,” Naruto called him over uncertainly, holding down the arm instead so he could talk freely. “I don’t feel well.”

For two seconds Sasuke’s heart stopped. Did the human manage to hurt him? Before Sasuke could ask or take action, something ripped through the air.

_Pooooooot_

Both their noses and ears twitched. Sasuke saw how Naruto’s body had bounced at the feat, how the cat’s expression changed in surprise. For a moment there was just silence, neither of them or the human moved. All too stunned at what just happened. Did it really happen? Sasuke couldn’t believe his ears but his nose confirmed that it did and Naruto’s face… he just looked mortified.

He’d farted.

Then the screaming began again but more towards the horrid smell that pain now. The human tried shaking them off, giving inaudible shouts of how foul the odour was and the both of them were back to biting, scratching and kicking the fallen human to submission. Served them right for tracking them down to their safe haven! Served them right for trying to lure Naruto and take him away! They shouldn’t be pleading for mercy for Sasuke to stop. In fact, they should cry out more for what they’ve done. Sasuke wasn’t going to stop. Nothing was going to make Sasuke stop hurting this human. Not even –

“Sasuke! Naruto! What are you two doing?!”

Sasuke’s body stiffened at the panic stricken voice and tilted his head up to face his own human, her face looking _very_ disappointed at what they’d done. Naruto had long released his clutches, hopping away from the enemy as if he had been burned and meowed apologetically, wrapping his bushy tail around himself in shame. Emi had appeared seemingly out of nowhere but it was more likely she just came home early from the stables and was looking for them outside – not to mention the screaming human at the edge of their property was probably a dead giveaway. Still a little embarrassed at being caught and the unchanging expression on their owner’s face, Naruto began rubbing himself against Emi’s legs, releasing a soft purr to remedy that. It wasn’t working all too well…

Even as Emi had both her hands on her hips staring at him, Sasuke was still reluctant on letting go of the human. Not even when Emi had sternly demanded him to release them. He just couldn’t! It was going against his instincts and he knew he was in the right. It was moments like these where he wished that he could speak human and tell Emi that this person was dangerous but he hoped that his eyes would convey all that needed to be said. Unfortunately for Sasuke, Emi was more concerned about the safety of the human Sasuke held captive to read his body language.

“Please,” the human whimpered, trying their move Sasuke off them and that only made him bite down harder causing them to hiss in pain and give up in their attempt, lying there hopelessly. Convinced his warning had gone across, Sasuke eased his grip to the human’s relief but his eyes turned to slits, silently saying how he would not hesitate to do it again if they tried any funny business. Instead, they switch tactics, pleading to Emi for help and Sasuke lashed out with an angry kick.

Horrified, Emi scolded him on his nasty behaviour, “Sasuke stop that and release them at once!” Sasuke only shook his head, hunkering himself over his prey, emitting a soft growl in possessive claim.

Naruto stepped out from behind Emi, looking at him worriedly. “Sasuke, just do as Emi says,” he advised, stepping closer to him and the human and before Sasuke had anything to say about it, he added, “We’ll keep an eye on them and be on guard, if anything happens we won’t hesitate to protect Emi and one another.”

“Sasuke!” came another one of Emi’s warnings but Sasuke was stubborn and wouldn’t budge. He had to hand it to Emi though, she was patient and expected better of Sasuke to let go at her request. He would, had it been another time but today he would disobey her.

Creeping closer to him, Naruto tried to convince Sasuke once more. “Sasuke please,” he appealed softly as if Sasuke had gone off his rocker. Sasuke only threw him a look that read “traitor” at him for trying. He held no qualms at seeing his partner turn away with ears pressed flat against his skull and that feathery tail in between his legs.

Emi had had enough of her pet’s ridiculousness and Sasuke’s persistence to go against her. Huffing, she crouched down and hooked her fingers under Sasuke’s paws, carefully dislodging his iron grip. Even with his master’s gentle grip, Sasuke yowled and fought, still desperate to have the human under his control. “Sasuke, you’ve been a very naughty cat today. I am very disappointed in you,” she said quietly and it was at that moment that Sasuke had second thoughts as to what he was doing, his limbs turned to jelly. His heart nearly broke by that one sentence but that justified his resolve to protect his household even more, no matter what Emi thought of him.

“Open up, Sasuke,” instructed Emi but once again, Sasuke refused to listen to his owner. Emi had cupped his jaw and firmly against the hollows of his cheeks to loosen his grip. It took some time and a lot of effort in Emi’s part to pry his mouth open and feeling a hurt and betrayed, Sasuke did the unthinkable…

_He scratched Emi_.

Taken aback and appalled at what he had done, he scampered away from the two humans, choosing to hide behind one of the flowerpots, ears and tail tucked close to his body. His breathing was ragged, body shaking as if he had been out in the rain for too long. His mind was reeling, replaying the scene in his head. He saw how his paw came down with claws extended in slow motion, dragging it against the pale flesh and quickly shut his eyes to stop it, hiding his head underneath his shaky paws in shame. In the distance he could hear Emi apologising to the human, not at all bothered by Sasuke’s rebellion in favour of helping them.

“Are you okay? I am so sorry! I don’t know what’s gotten into them.” Emi fretted. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding! Let’s get you inside.”

A part of his mind went to high alert from what he had heard but currently, he was entertaining another part of himself – the part of how he felt weak as a kitten and just wanted to hide away from the world.

“Naw, I think I’m good,” clarified the human, the leaves crunching as they stood up – no doubt Emi had helped her. “You don’t look good yourself, look at that scratch!”

If it were any possible, Sasuke felt even worse now. The sharp stings of betrayal and the dull stabs of self-hate plagued him, sending him into despair and he curled in on himself to block all those feelings out.

“You must be their owner, that’s great! I wanted to discuss something with you about your cats,” they said excitedly, the bell that they wore, jingled as they moved.

“Umm…okay?” Sasuke could feel the hesitation in Emi’s voice or maybe she was taken aback by the enthusiasm of the human because Sasuke could hear the bell constantly ringing. “We can discuss about this inside. We really should have someone take a look at the scratch and bite marks, my kitties have done a number on you.”

And just like that, the two humans walked away, their footsteps growing fainter and fainter as they headed towards the house. A part of him felt quite proud about his and Naruto’s accomplishment. If Sasuke wasn’t currently cowering pathetically behind a tree, he would have smirked. They had made a huge statement to the stranger in their home, a statement that said that they did not trust them and that if needed, they will fight back. Another part was disappointed that neither of them could finish the job or at least taken care of this problem before Emi found out and he felt like this mission was an utter fail. However, there was one small detail that outweighed both of these and it was the fact that he had scratched his owner. Willingly. He never felt more disgusted with himself than he did now. He wanted to throw up.

He could sense Naruto approaching him with caution and allowed the Somali to sniff him to see if he was okay. Just for a little while though since Naruto was worried. Sasuke let the other cat run his nose against the scruff of his neck, along the length of his spine but once Naruto got closer to his covered face, he gave a muffled grunt, “Go away, dobe.” Knowing Naruto had gotten the hint when he backed away from him for some privacy, Sasuke peeked his head out to remind him of something. “Take care of Emi.”

“Come home soon,” Naruto responded back before running towards the house.

Sasuke gave no answer to that, lying still for a moment or two longer. Heaving an audible sigh once he was sure he was alone, Sasuke let his shoulders slump and took his paws off his head. He rested his chin on his paws but kept his tail curled around him to ease the pressure he felt deep in his chest. He would come home soon but he needed a moment to recollect himself. The events that had happened left him feeling so tired. Emotionally tired that is, as it had opened up things he was sure he’d forgotten, had gotten over. Sasuke stared ahead unmoving, letting the feelings flood through him for this was the only time he will allow himself to be like this. To be weak…

He was thankful that Naruto had respected his wishes to be left alone because he really needed this for himself. Sasuke had an inkling that Naruto had seen what Sasuke had tried to keep hidden but even if he didn’t, the smell of brine probably gave it away. His body began to quake, the pressure inside starting to overwhelm him. Sasuke blinked his green eyes repeatedly and soon after, he tilted his head back, his mouth dropped opened, only to let out silence but his face was twisted in pain, eyes closed in anguish. Only missing a majestic mane, Sasuke was poised like the king of the savannah, one that let out not a roar but absolute stillness. The silence rang louder than anything could at that moment. It had been a while since he last cried…

* * *

“Sasuke, stop that!”

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the command of his master and his claws stopped trying to tear into the furniture, sheathing them back in immediately. There was still some friction between him and Emi, proven by the irritation in her voice as she was not all too happy with his behaviour. His eyes down casted, secretly feeling embarrassed and hurt again. Emi rarely scolds him. Sasuke had always been an obedient cat, not causing any trouble for her, even while he was a kitten. Emi usually held him in high regard but now he was probably no better than some street stray in her eyes.

Sasuke sat up elegantly once more, trying to keep himself in check even whilst the enemy sat amongst them but other than that, his face remained impassive as he had purged it all out before entering the house. He sat at the far end of the couch of where Emi was sitting, a distance he’d created between them where it was far enough to ease the tension but close for him to leap into action if she needed to be protected. He still couldn’t trust the stranger after all.

“There we go, your arm is all patched up.”

Speaking of trust, of course Nora was also in the house. Ever since her reappearance back from the Netherlands, or what she jokingly calls “the mother country”, she had been in here _a lot_ , cooking meals, playing with Naruto or just hanging around. Sasuke had the sneakiest suspicion that she was slowly integrating herself into this household. Since she’s spending so much time here, she might as well have moved in but then again they’re already next door neighbours. Either way, Sasuke was okay with that, _maybe_... She might be crazy but she wasn’t so high in his list anymore, ever since she returned a sickly Naruto in once piece, unlike their stalker. Sasuke did a side glance at their visitor and wrinkled his nose at the thought of the strange human being a regular visitor. That would mean him having less hunting trips just to defend the house.

He guessed having Nora around might be of an advantage. Since she practically lives here now and that would be enough for the stranger to not break into the house to steal Naruto, right? If Sasuke was right, Nora loved them both enough to not let anything bad happen to them. Particularly Naruto since those two take to each other like a duck to water. That also meant less unwanted snuggle sessions with her for Sasuke, _thank fuck_.

Nora can be trusted, probably… but then again she sure was striking quite the friendship with the human. Or it could have been Emi’s request for her to treat the battered stranger. Still, Sasuke did not particularly like how Nora was covering up his and Naruto’s masterpiece. There was this nagging feeling on the two of them being friends but Sasuke already cleared up that suspicion the last time, didn’t he? Nora’s in the clear, right? She can’t possibly be one of them, can she? The worst case scenario would be him fending off two dangerous humans.

“Alrighty, good as new,” said Nora as she patted the plaster she’d just placed on the intruder’s cheek. Sasuke’s green eyes narrowed as he observed the two of them interact. He certainly didn’t get an acquaintance vibe from either of them.

Nora hummed, gathering all the things back into the first aid box. “I’ll give you some aloe vera gel for the cuts and scratches later. I’m going to get the spanakopita from the oven now. I think all that spinach will provide all the nutrients to replace all the iron you’ve lost,” she said, getting to her feet.

Slurping down the rest of their tea, the human hastily placed their cup down, the clinking loud. If they broke it, Sasuke would throw a fit. “Oh wow, are you a doctor or something?” they directed the question to Nora, looking at all the neatly wrapped bandages on their arm.

Pursing her lips, Nora thought about how to answer that. Heck, Sasuke wasn’t even sure what her profession was. “Mmm… Nutritionist actually but I did spend a few summers interning at hospitals.”

“Almost doctor then,” quipped the intruder with a smile. “Thanks, almost doctor!”

With a small chuckle, Emi paused in brushing Naruto’s thick fur and nodded in agreement. “Yes, thank you Nora for patching up our guest. My cats have been very naughty today and treated you so poorly,” Emi paused to shoot Sasuke a look, to which he instantly stiffened to, then turned her attention to the Somali on her lap. “I can assure you that this will not happen again, am I right?”

Turning himself on his back, Naruto purred and meowed, playfully pawing the hand that was scratching his chin. Sasuke had to bite his tongue at the spike of jealousy he felt but acknowledged that he did the mistake of refusing to comply with Emi’s instructions before. Silently fuming, Sasuke forced himself to ignore the affection Naruto got from their owner but his tail swished side to side in resentment.

It didn’t go unnoticed by the other cat however at how sour his mood had gotten. His right eye twitched when he saw Naruto slide away from Emi and trod towards him, tail standing straight with that dopey smile on his face. Sasuke turned away, giving him the cold shoulder. He did not need this right now. He wasn’t some charity case and besides he’s not jealous, not one bit.

The hot breath made his ear twitch but Sasuke refused to entertain his playmate and be coddled like a sulking kitten. “Sasuke,” Naruto meowed, voice gentle and Sasuke hated that. Sasuke remained stiff as a statue when Naruto rubbed his side affectionately, bumping his head under his chin. Rolling onto his back, Naruto began to knead Sasuke’s chest for attention, wriggling playfully. “Sasuke, come on,” he whined for being ignored. Naruto’s such a brat and Sasuke turned his face to him in order to tell him to quit it.

Obviously a mistake on his part, it was what Naruto had wanted all along because his neck was clasped by the fox like cat. Sasuke tried to rear his head back but he was being pulled down, forced to be face to face with the triumphant fluff ball. Naruto craned his neck, determined to touch noses, to be affectionate, to _comfort_ him but right before they made contact, just a hair’s breadth away from connecting, Sasuke had pushed his playmate back. He didn’t need a good bonding session with the dobe. What he does need is for the stranger in their house to go away. Naruto was disappointed but that didn’t stop him from trying again, adjusting his grip so Sasuke couldn’t get away from him.

Denying the request, Sasuke covered the Somali’s face with both front paws. “Dobe, don’t,” he growled.

Muffled mewls escaped Naruto as he pretended to struggle but Sasuke knew he wasn’t putting any pressure on his face. Capturing one of the silvery blue paws, Naruto gnawed on it playfully and Sasuke sighed, letting him do just that. As Naruto licked the pink pad underneath, Sasuke could feel himself relaxing a little. He had to admit it was a bit therapeutic but he wouldn’t admit that out loud. “What do you want?” he scoffed instead.

Ceasing his ministrations, Naruto let go of Sasuke who immediately resumed his position. “Just making sure my playmate feels better and not suffering from another case of envy,” the russet coloured cat said with a Cheshire grin. “You’re scary when you get all envious.”

Sasuke huffed, feeling very offended. “Envious?” he asked scathingly, whipping his tail violently and ears turned to the side. “That would imply that I’m getting up riled up by you having something I don’t have. For your information, I _do_ have Emi’s affection. Long before you came into the picture, you stupid housecat,” Sasuke paused to make a jab at Naruto’s chest. “Your assumption is invalid so I suggest you hold your tongue before I bite it off,” he ended his rant with other jab on the exposed chest.

Naruto’s grin grew impossibly wider and he hummed as if he was thinking about it. “You’re absolutely right, Sasuke!” Sasuke _knew_ he was right but it seemed oddly suspicious for Naruto to agree with him and retract his earlier statement. “You do have Emi’s affection but you’re afraid I’m taking it from you. Don’t worry though, I know Emi loves us both the same. I shouldn’t have said that you were envious since the right word would be jealousy. You’re jealous of me, I’m almost flattered,” he giggled, bright eyes shining in mischief.

Sasuke blinked once, twice, before he caught up with the trap the conniving feline had set up. He felt himself grow hot at being duped into admitting his feelings. “Why you little shit!” That was the only warning Naruto got before Sasuke pounced on him, jaw stretched around his throat. Sasuke bit down. The force was not enough to draw blood but it was by no means less painful yet it astounded Sasuke how the Somali managed to let out delighted squeal and find any part of this entertaining.

“You’re so cute when you’re jealous, Sasuke,” Naruto choked out, trying to push Sasuke off him but Sasuke forced him down, giving the vulnerable neck little bites and nips. Considering Naruto wasn’t putting any effort in fighting back, it was really easy for Sasuke to overwhelm him.

“Don’t talk to me like that!” Sasuke hissed, his silvery blue fur puffing out slightly, feeling insulted. “S-stupid housecat!” Getting all flustered, he slammed his paws over Naruto’s face again trying to shut him up. Naruto let out a surprised yell this time around but it quickly turned into laughter when he kneed Sasuke in the gut and turned the tables, straddling Sasuke instead.

Sasuke almost forgot how strong and muscular Naruto’s legs are and how heavy the russet furred feline can be until he was pinned down by him. Definitely not something Sasuke was used to experiencing. He jolted when Naruto licked a stripe on his cheek, making his fur damp.

“Nawww, Sasu-chan’s all embarrassed now,” the Somali purred, holding Sasuke’s cheeks captive and brought their noses together.

His jaw clenched tight, Sasuke’s eyes promised bloody murder. “Don’t you fucking call me that,” he snarled and tried to bite Naruto’s muzzle. Naruto playfully pulled away from his sharp canines but dove back to nip his chin. A swift kick delivered with both legs threw Naruto off him. “Get the fuck off me!”

Before Naruto could do anything else, Sasuke launched himself at his playmate. Naruto went down like a gazelle tackled by a hungry lion and this time he fought back. With snarls and hisses, they bit, smacked and kicked, wanting to wrestle the other into submission. The two of them grappled with each other, rolling around on the couch. In the background, the humans paid their little tumble no mind, waving it off as usual cat behaviour and how they were just playing around. Sasuke on the other hand took this very seriously. All he had to do was project his dominancy – like he always does. It doesn’t matter if they’re playmates, Sasuke’s top cat around here whether Naruto likes it or not.

In the midst of their tussle Naruto had once again used his weight and strong legs to his advantage to subdue Sasuke. Not giving up without a fight, Sasuke thrashed and shoved, clawing any part of the Somali he could reach but Naruto was content with hooking his legs around Sasuke’s torso and sitting on him. He was not some cushion to be sat on damn it! Pissed off now, Sasuke went for every cat’s weakness – the ears. Sasuke gathered it was the feline equivalent of nipple pinching for humans. When the soft flap was yanked, Naruto cried out and instantly crumbled, rolling off of Sasuke in hopes that he would let go. Sasuke didn’t. Not yet anyway…

Smirking in victory, Sasuke got to his feet as Naruto laid down in defeat, paws all tucked in underneath his belly and his long plumed tail curled in tight. He mounted Naruto as sign that he had established dominancy – once again – with great satisfaction. The both of them were panting, a bit worn out from their short scuffle but Sasuke had to admit, it felt good to roughhouse with Naruto, _real good_. Sasuke hadn’t been in a fight, a real one that is, for quite some time now and while the adrenaline rush he felt now couldn’t compare to one he’d get in a real brawl, it helped ebb some of the stress he’d been feeling away. The side of his mouth quirked slightly. He’d won.

“Cheater,” Naruto muttered quietly but from this angle, Sasuke could not see any resentment nor hear any bitterness in his voice. “You played dirty, Sasuke,” he mumbled, turning his head to face Sasuke.

Sasuke yanked on his ear a bit more just to remind him of his predicament. “Play dirty, huh?” he gritted out. “Thoughts like that are what get housecats like you in trouble whenever they’re in the streets. You do everything you can to survive when you’re out there. Consider that a free piece of advice from me.” With that Sasuke released Naruto but remained on top of him. However, he repositioned himself so that his upper body was draped over the fluffier cat.

Naruto had rolled over onto his back but did not make an attempt to push Sasuke off him and instead let him lounge on top. The both of them stared at each other quietly as Naruto did not comment on his last remark. The Somali flicked his bitten ear and nudged it with his paw a couple of times. Sasuke didn’t bite him too hard, did he? It didn’t look like Naruto was in any pain, so Sasuke reckoned he was probably trying to get blood to flow back or something. With them being chest to chest, Sasuke could feel their heartbeats slowing down and trying to match each other’s. He closed his eyes and exhaled, listening to the soft swishes of Naruto’s tail on the fabric of the couch.

“Feel better?”

Sasuke opened his eyes slowly to stare at Naruto. His playmate was really something, wasn’t he? Only Naruto would know that he needed a good brawl to loosen up. The dobe knew him so well. Releasing a puff of air, Sasuke turned his face away slightly and muttered a small “Maybe,” and even at this angle, he could see Naruto’s grin. That and how much Naruto’s tail was dancing in happiness.

Naruto reached out to him and nudged the scruff of his neck, rubbing his brown nose against Sasuke’s silky fur. Sasuke had permitted Naruto to scent him, he had turned his own head to brush against his cheek against Naruto’s in response. By now Sasuke was already accustomed to the Somali’s unnecessary touches, any protests from him to the other feline would be rendered moot. He stopped there however, not making any more contact aside from the simple brush yet he allowed Naruto to his own devices. He chuckled inwardly and shook his head at the lengths Naruto had gone to make him feel at ease.

A soft purr escaped his throat when Naruto began grooming him, the rough tongue combing his fluffed up fur down again. Sasuke’s eyes fluttered at the sensation and he tucked his paws underneath. He does like a good grooming. Ears flicking to show how content he is, Sasuke felt his body relax and made himself comfortable on Naruto. He could really get used to this. Sure Emi would sometimes brush him and it felt great but there was just something about a cat’s tongue that made it oh so more pleasurable. If that wasn’t enough, Naruto started licking the space between his forehead, his nose and just about anywhere he could reach. Sasuke had officially turned to putty and his tail curled in and out, his mind lost and hazy from the gratifying treatment.

Sasuke crooned in approval, tilting his head to give Naruto more to work with. He creaked an eye open to see Naruto lavishing him with affection and at one point Sasuke briefly wondered if he should return the gesture. While Sasuke might never had a playmate before, he had seen other cats do it without context. Sasuke had never want any other feline sniff him, much less touch him. Almost hesitantly, Sasuke opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out but thought against it. He felt oddly nervous. How can it be any different than the other times he’d licked and nipped Naruto? Just when he was about to nuzzle Naruto in thanks he heard the camera shutter go off.

Instantly Sasuke was tense, climbing over Naruto and hacking angrily. He proceeded to pull Naruto into him, attempting to stuff him under his belly in an instinctual gesture of protection. His groomed, flattened fur once again raised in aggression. Sasuke saw red as he glared at the human across him, who gulped nervously and lowered the camera in her hands. “I’m going to rip you to shreds!” he yowled, ignoring the muffled protests of Naruto below him who struggled to get free.

Sasuke was furious. She made a move in his house, the very core of his territory! A bolt of possessiveness shot through him as he readied himself for an attack. He’s going to keep his household safe, damn it! He would have jumped, would have torn the human limb from limb if only Emi’s shout hadn’t held him back.

“What is the matter with you, Sasuke? Calm down!” Sasuke never knew Emi’s voice could be that shrill.

Facing his owner, Sasuke crouched low but refused to back down, sharp canines still exposed as he hissed. He wanted to make a point that he was serious, that this person was dangerous and that she was targeting Naruto. Speaking of which – Sasuke made sure the larger cat was safely hidden under him, covering him the best he could with his body. Still with his ears pressed to the side, Sasuke’s tail thrashed violently, daring the human to take Naruto away from him. Despite the angry glare Emi shot him, Sasuke would not let Naruto out of his grasp. The Somali below him had stopped struggling once he understood what Sasuke was doing. The gentle purrs in an attempt to calm him now reverberated through his underbelly.

Emi sighed, sounding defeated and massaged her temples. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Sasuke. I know you’re a good kitty so why are you misbehaving now?” Sasuke kept a steady gaze at her. He knows he’s doing the right thing. Turning towards the human, Emi gave an apologetic smile. “You have to excuse him. Sasuke isn’t normally like this. He really is a very gentle cat, I swear. Once he warms up to you, anyway…” Hearing that, Sasuke wanted to snort. There was _no fucking way_ he’d warm up to her. He might have been wrong about Nora but he sure as hell is right about this other human being a fucking stalker.

Speak of the devil… Nora arrived with her tray of baked goods, the steam still wafting from each flaked pastry. “Spanakopita’s done!” she announced happily and started setting the table. A part of Sasuke was glad for her appearance since it lightened the mood a little. Even Emi looked much chipper now.

“Whoa, that looks so good!”

“I agree. Nora knows her way around the kitchen which is why I always ask her to be around,” Emi laughed.

Nora made a face but winked playfully at their master. “What would you do without me?”

“Starve probably,” Emi responded and reached over to grab a serving. Their master caught herself before diving into the afternoon treat, cheeks red and Nora giggled a little at her getting all flustered. “Oh sorry, I’m just excited to eat the food, please help yourself, err…” Emi trailed off and looked at the human expectantly.

It took a few seconds for them to process but the human finally caught up that Emi was referring to them. Seriously, was this human a moron or what? “Oh! Oh, I’m sorry! I never really introduced myself, have I?” They laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of their head before straightening themselves. “My name’s Stefi. Sorry for the intrusion but I was looking for your cats.”

There you have it! That was a straight up confession wasn’t it? Sasuke got off of Naruto and up on all fours. He did a side glanced to his companion who like him went on the alert and got up from his relaxed position. The Somali meowed, reminding him to remain calm even though it was blatantly obvious that this Stefi person was stalking them. Sasuke wanted to ignore the other cat’s word of warning but he knew he had to behave if he ever wanted to be in Emi’s good graces again. Instead, Sasuke hopped off the couch and strode over towards Emi’s striped sock covered feet. He sat down gracefully in front of his most treasured human, nonchalantly licking his paws and occasionally letting his claws peek out to remind the human of what exactly he’s capable of. Naruto had joined him, landing next to Sasuke to protectively guard their master.

“Sasuke and Naruto?” Their owner questioned, voice laced with curiosity. “You followed them all the way here?” Sasuke could just imagine Emi’s brows furrowing as she asked that. Maybe Emi might just get on the same page as them now.

“Mhmm!” The Stefi human nodded excitedly. “I’ve been following them for quite some time now, actually,” she confessed, tugging on a stray strand of curly dark blond hair.

The entire air of the room shifted at that admission. Everyone except their so called guest seemed to stiffen. Emi from behind shifted to sit up straighter. Even Nora was giving a more guarded stance with one hand on her hip, a dark eyebrow arched in question. Judging from Nora’s reaction, Sasuke was glad that she was on their side then. Obviously, both humans had picked up that something was slightly wrong with their guest stalking two cats back to their house. This was great. The two of them can now see what a threat this Stefi person could be and both he and Naruto didn’t have to do anything. This human was unveiling their master plan on her own and Sasuke didn’t need to lift a paw!

Oblivious to the situation, this Stefi person prattled on, hands moving animatedly as she told them about her first encounter with both felines. “I happened to chance them on my way to uni one day and I thought they looked very cute together so I snapped a picture but then the next day I saw them again and took another one. When developing the pictures, I was amazed to see them both so…” she paused to find the right word and blue eyes twinkled when she found the right one. “Expressive,” she sighed with a dreamy smile on her lips.

Naruto’s ears wriggled back and forth, voicing his interest to hear more while Sasuke’s face twisted in impatience. He’d like for her to get it over with and confess to her crimes so he can personally throw her out of the house and not without a bloody parting present

“I knew right then and there that they were _perfect_ and I must be one lucky bastard but I saw them again and just had to capture them!”

There! There was the proof! There was the proof! Sasuke sat up and turned towards Emi with a smug look. He waited for her to give him the permission to fucking destroy this human but while his master looked concerned, lips pressed together, she didn’t say anything. Sasuke’s human is too kind but Nora being the more straightforward human wasn’t and was quick to voice out and that earned her a bit of Sasuke’s respect, just a bit.

“Capture, huh?” Nora questioned, sounding not so pleased and stepped just a bit closer to both Sasuke and Naruto.

The Stefi human must have noticed Nora’s tone and looked up at her. Probably realising her mistake, she gave an awkward grin and raised the camera in her hands. “On film of course,” she supplied. Obviously to Sasuke that’s a blatant lie. Going through the pictures that she took, she continued her explanation. “They’re beautiful specimens individually but it is when they’re together that I just _had_ to have them. I noticed that they would often take the same route and so would wait for them to show up so I can take my shots. Just take a look at these,” she offered the camera to Nora who in turn sat next to Emi so they can look at them together. Naruto ever the eager beaver, left his post to join them, shoving his face at the screen to take a look. That resulted in the both of them to laugh and gently push Naruto aside so they can have a look too. Sasuke on the other hand was not as amused and remained at his spot between the household and the enemy.

“Wowzers,” breathed Nora and Emi nodded her head, humming in agreement. “These are really beautiful photographs. You have a good eye.”

Damn it Nora don’t compliment her! Sasuke’s frown deepened at the prospect of the human buttering them up. They think they’re so slick, huh? Using pictures of the two of them as an excuse for her to stalk them. It was still wrong no matter how good the pictures were!

Sasuke very nearly jumped in surprise when an excited squeal sounded behind him. Ugh Nora… “Oh my God, Emi Sasuke looks so precious in this! Nawwww they’re so adorable together!”

His master gave a heartfelt laugh and cooed beside her, Emi must like it too. Sasuke could hear Naruto crooning and he’d be lying he wasn’t a little bit curious about what picture it was to get such a reaction and tilted his head to the side with interest. The three of them were huddled together, fawning over the camera. Naruto caught his gaze and the little shit look positively satisfied and threw him a wink. Sasuke bristled. What the fuck?

“This picture makes me very happy, Stefi,” Emi confessed, smiling. “It is very reassuring that Sasuke is happy with his playmate and knowing that I’ve made the right decision when it came to adopting Naruto. I’ve had my worries but now seeing this picture made me feel more at ease about Sasuke’s feelings towards Naruto.

_Feelings_? What feelings? Sasuke whipped his head back to stare wide eyed at Emi, flabbergasted. There are no _feelings_. He’d just gotten used comfortable with the idea that a playmate can’t be half bad is all, even though Naruto can be _really_ annoying but he can endure it. It had nothing to do with _feelings_. What nonsense.

“I know just the picture you’re talking about, Emi! I’ve never seen so much emotion squeezed into such a cute and tiny cat like Sasuke!” Stefi did little to contain her enthusiasm, knees bouncing as recalled the picture she took. Sasuke snapped his head back to the human enemy. _Cute and tiny_? What an insult! He’ll show her cute and tiny! “You can clearly see the love and adoration Sasuke has for Naruto. I’m surprised that they’ve only recently become playmates. It looked like they’ve been together since kittens and are the best of friends!”

If Sasuke wasn’t busy being taken aback from that comment, he would make her pay for it for assuming that he and the dobe are best friends. He’s _just_ his playmate. And what did she mean love and adoration? Just what kind of picture did she take? And why the fuck are they all making such a big deal about it? Sasuke could feel the loud pumping in his ears as his heartrate picked up speed. He didn’t understand what he was feeling, only that he didn’t like it and that it was the human’s fault.  No one makes a fool out of Sasuke!

Without really thinking about it, Sasuke blindly headed for the root of the problem – the photograph. With a running start, he jumped to yank at the camera strap that dangled above and the camera slipped from Emi’s grasp. Time suddenly slowed and Sasuke was hyperaware of what was happening. He could see Emi’s blown pupils, the tensing of her shoulders as the camera fell, could hear the surprised gasp from Nora and the terrified scream of the Stefi human. Now he’d really done it, hadn’t he? Sasuke supposed he should feel bad about it but it’s too late now. He just sat there and watched uncaringly as the camera made its descent to the carpet.

“Naru-chan!”

Naruto plummeted to the floor with a loud thud and instantly everyone was on their feet screaming his name. “What the hell did you that for?!” Sasuke demanded hotly, nudging the ball of russet fur. “I can’t believe you jumped after it, you idiot!” Despite his harsh tone, Sasuke frantically sought to see Naruto’s face. Cats don’t just flop to the ground, they _always_ land on their feet.

Finally uncurling himself from the defensive position, Naruto gave a weak chuckle towards Sasuke. “You’ve been in the frying pan long enough. I’m here to save your ass,” the Somali assured him, patting the camera that remained unscathed from his quick – more like idiotic – thinking.

Swallowing the sigh of relief when Naruto got to his feet without any difficulties, Sasuke straightened himself and huffed, “Who says I need saving?” That’s what he said but knowingly he shifted his eyes to Emi and sure enough she was furious. His long sleek tail curled around himself and he awaited his punishment, ears folded down. He would at least take it like a cat.

With shaky shoulders to contain her anger, Emi lifted a finger and pointed at Sasuke. This was it. “Sasuke, you naughty, naughty cat,” Sasuke closed his eyes, facing his judgement with his head held high. “You know what you have to do for misbehaving. Go have a time out!”

Sasuke sucked in a breath, slumping in defeat at the sentence he had gotten. He supposed he should be thankful; it would have probably been worse if the camera had gotten damaged. Next to him, Naruto asked incredulously, “What’s a time out?” but Sasuke brushed past him and walked away to his punishment. “Sasuke?” Naruto called out to him, falling into step.

“Don’t follow me,” Sasuke muttered, drained of all energy to make it sound like a threat like he usually does but as always regardless of whether he made it a threat or not, Naruto would be right behind him albeit hesitant in his footfalls.

Reaching a small chest of drawers, Sasuke looked up at it with dejectedly. It’s been a while since his last time out, he barely even remembers it. Lifting a paw, he gave the larger bottom drawer a push and the spring mechanism inside unlocked and opened the drawer with a soft click. Climbing inside, Sasuke crawled to the far end of it to push the drawer shut and back into place. Inside, Sasuke laid in wait. He huddled close at the very back, his body pressing his body against the walls. In the darkness he could feel the same pressure welling up in his chest as before but he’d be damned if he choked up again. Resting his chin on his front paws, Sasuke let out a soft sigh. Today was such a terrible day, Sasuke just wanted it all to end.

There was a soft click and the drawer slid forward, light flooding into the small space making Sasuke adjust his vision. Then a feline head poked inside, sniffing curiously. He did wonder when the Somali would make his appearance but Sasuke really wanted to be left alone right now. He deserved the right to serve his punishment in peace.

“Sasuke?” Naruto called out to him and dived inside, the force of it closing the drawer shut, plunging them both into darkness once more.

Growling slightly, Sasuke curled in on himself tighter. “Get out.”

Naruto carefully inched towards him, nose twitching. “Sasuke, what are you doing in here?” the feline asked, voice soft and reassuring.

“Didn’t you hear? This is my time out, my punishment,” he clarified. “I have to stay in here to clear my head and reflect on my actions. Now you know the reason, leave.”

The russet furred cat moved but instead of exiting, Naruto decided to delve deeper to where Sasuke was and settle himself in, wedging himself between Sasuke and one wall. “Heeeeeh what a weird punishment,” Naruto thought out loud, making himself comfortable beside Sasuke.

“Naruto go away, the space is cramped and you’re fat now shove off,” Sasuke complained, pushing against the other cat in an attempt to make him move aside. “At least give me some room, damn it!” he sniffed, finding it useless to talk some sense into his playmate. This cat honestly, so fucking stubborn.

The both of them were silent, the drawer filled with their soft breathing until Naruto turned to him and asked with a whine, “Am I really fat?” In the dark Sasuke’s feline eyes could make out that the other was pouting. “Maybe I should lay off the rice, huh? Go low carb.”

Sasuke couldn’t tell if Naruto was joking or not. “You’re not fat, idiot,” he mumbled. “I’m just really upset right now.” That’s the closest his playmate will ever get to an apology from him, ever, so Naruto better shut the hell up.

They fell into silence again but this time Naruto had pressed closer to him, rubbing his head against Sasuke’s side. Sasuke knew what he was doing, knew why he was doing it. “Dobe,” he warned but even to him his voice sounded tired and had little resistance. Naruto began to groom him, licking behind his ears and eventually his face. “I don’t need you to comfort me,” his voice was but a broken whisper and Sasuke could feel himself losing to the gentle touches of his playmate.

“It’s just you and me here. No one has to know,” Naruto whispered back and resumed with his task.

Sasuke let out a soft breath, letting his walls come down and reached over so he may lean his head over Naruto’s neck. He closed his eyes and let the tender touches soothe him. That’s right. No one has to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for the long wait! ;w; I didn't give up on this fic, a lot has happened in the last year! As I post this, I've just recently moved to Japan, the paperwork and process to get here had really taken over my life the last quarter of 2015 up till now. Writing had become an impossible task and I try to squeeze in the time for it when I can. Even now sitting in my dorm room with a bajillion work for Japanese courses as well as my research, I try to do my best so I apologise if I don't update regularly ;w; But thank you so much for all the support, your comments and kudos really give me life and reading them lets me know that you are interested in my humble writings and I just love you all!
> 
> I have some big plans with this fic even though it started as something small but I really think that this will be my main fic from now ahahaha so please expect that from me! I will have oneshots and a small multichaps probs if I get inspired enough but I know my friends would push me to write them lol Idk if you've picked up on it yet but there's something going on with Sasuke and why he's acting hostile to humans in particular xD It wasn't planned but somehow the story unfolded itself.
> 
> I hope you're excited to see what happens next with our favourite kitties! Thank you so much for reading this and being super patient with me. Please leave a kudos to let me know that you like it and write a comment to tell me what you think or have any questions! :3


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